The global civil society alliance CIVICUS welcomes the release of Belarusian human rights defenders Marfa Rabkova and Valiantsin Stefanovich, featured in its Stand As My Witness Campaign, following the Belarusian authorities’ decision to free 250 political prisoners in exchange for sanctions relief.
This is the largest release of its kind so far. Previously, on 13 December 2025, Belarusian authorities also human rights defenders Ales Bialiatski and Uladzimir Labkovich after years of imprisonment for their peaceful human rights work. Together, these long‑overdue releases represent a step toward addressing some of the grave injustices committed against civil society in Belarus, but they fall far short of ending ongoing repression.
“While these releases represent a positive development, they highlight the continued suffering of many others whom the authorities still unfairly hold in Belarusian prisons. According to civil society estimates, over 1000 political prisoners remain in Belarus: civil society actors, journalists, lawyers, and peaceful government critics remain behind bars on politically motivated charges,” said Asma Darwish, Lead for Stand As My Witness Campaign.
Marfa Rabkova, a prominent activist with the Viasna Human Rights Centre, has long advocated for political prisoners and victims of human rights abuses in Belarus. Authorities detained her on politically motivated charges that the international community widely condemned.
Valiantsin Stefanovich, a human rights lawyer and coordinator at Viasna, dedicated his work to defending civil liberties and documenting human rights violations. Authorities imprisoned him for this peaceful work.
For years, Rabkova and Stefanovich have symbolised resilience amid sustained repression of independent civil society in Belarus. Since 2020, authorities have unjustly detained thousands of human rights defenders and political prisoners across the country. Their release brings relief to their families, colleagues, and supporters worldwide.
CIVICUS calls on the government of Belarus to:
- Immediately and unconditionally release all remaining political prisoners and end the use of politically motivated prosecutions to silence dissent;
- End harassment, intimidation, and punitive measures against human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers, and civil society actors; and
- Uphold Belarus’ international human rights obligations, including the rights to freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly, and a fair trial.
These developments offer hope, but sustained international attention and pressure remain essential to secure freedom for all those behind bars and ensure that civil society in Belarus can operate without fear of reprisals.
Through its Stand As My Witness campaign, CIVICUS continues to mobilise international solidarity to support imprisoned human rights defenders and demand the release of activists facing persecution for their human rights work.
