Amidst the Belarusian government's oppressive tactics, dissidents abroad report threats and intimidation tactics aimed at silencing opposition and disrupting their networks.
Belarusian Dissidents Abroad Face Ongoing Threats from Home
Belarusian Dissidents Abroad Face Ongoing Threats from Home
Exiled Belarusians highlight the ongoing harassment and intimidation they face from authorities in Minsk.
Dissidents uprooted from Belarus under Alexander Lukashenko's regime face a grim reality of ongoing threats even after fleeing the country. Hundreds of thousands have left since the outset of massive protests in 2020 against what many deemed a rigged presidential election. Among those in exile is journalist Tatsiana Ashurkevich, 26, who discovered that her flat had been sealed shut with construction foam, a clear message from those seeking to intimidate her for her writings on Belarus.
Faced with overt harassment, Ashurkevich encountered a follower on Instagram who offered assistance in exchange for information about Belarusian fighters in Ukraine. She blocked him, recognizing the looming dangers of engaging with such individuals. Reports indicate that countless activists have been surveilled and threatened while living abroad, fearing repercussions against their families still residing in Belarus.
Anna Krasulina, a press secretary for prominent opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, has experienced persistent harassing messages, which she attributes to Belarusian authorities. Both women have been sentenced in absentia to years in prison for their opposition to Lukashenko's regime. Critics have become increasingly apprehensive about voicing dissent overseas, fearing their loved ones will face retaliatory visits from the authorities.
Since a 2022 decree made it simpler to prosecute exiled critics, over 200 cases have been opened. The Belarusian government exerts maximum pressure on those who have left, aiming to fracture relationships between dissidents and their families back home, as detailed by journalist Hanna Liubakova, herself sentenced to a decade in prison in absentia.
The Belarusian Ministry of Internal Affairs did not respond to a request for comment on these allegations. However, many activists remain resolute, driven by a commitment to their cause despite the psychological toll these threats impose. As Andrei Strizhak of the Bysol foundation noted, while harassment strategies may succeed with some, the regime's extensive surveillance and intimidation tactics reveal a broader objective—undermining the spirit of the dissidents and maintaining control over their actions, both locally and abroad.
