Ahead of the Belarusian voting scheduled for 26 January 2025, we gathered Prague-based diplomats and experts for a working breakfast hosted by the Embassy of Sweden in Czechia. Together with Sweden’s Ambassador for the EU’s Eastern Partnership, Christina Johannesson, and representatives of Belarusian civil society and independent media, we discussed the situation of the political prisoners and the intensifying crackdown in the country.
Almost 1,300 political prisoners, including leading opposition figures, remain in jail. Security forces detained thousands of people during the peaceful protests against the rigged 2020 presidential election. Many faced brutal treatment and torture. Others were forced to flee the country. Now more than ever, it’s important to stand with democratic forces, defend human rights, and support independent media.