Four years after mass protests erupted against Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s authoritarian rule in Belarus, trials against those who took to the streets continue.
Multiple proceedings targeting families accused of taking part in the 2020 demonstrations are currently under way in Minsk courts.
On November 19, Hanna, Inna, and Raman Usmanau, along with Kiryl Selyaznyou are going on trial in the Zavod district court. They are charged with "active participation in actions grossly violating public order."
Simultaneously, the Frunze district court has begun proceedings against Katsyaryna and Ihar Gramovich on the same charge.
Further trials involving families are scheduled in the coming days.
On November 21, the case of a couple -- Mark Kunitsky and Iryna Pratazanova-Kunitskaya -- will be heard in the Kastrychnik District Court.
On November 22, Anna, Tatsyana, and Andrey Vashchyshyn will be tried in the Frunze District Court.
The cases stem from the 2020 protests that followed the disputed presidential election that extended Lukashenka's longstanding rule for another term.
The election was widely condemned as fraudulent by the United States, the European Union, and other international actors.
The protests, which demanded Lukashenka’s resignation, were met with mass arrests, alleged torture, and violent crackdowns that left several people dead.
Many opposition leaders remain imprisoned or in exile, while Lukashenka refuses dialogue with his critics. The trials reflect ongoing repression as the Belarusian regime continues its efforts to stifle dissent and consolidate power.
