Support HRF's Belarus Solidarity Fund
WHAT WILL THE FUNDS BE USED FOR?
Since its inception in August 2020, the Human Rights Foundation (HRF)’s Belarus Solidarity Fund has provided a lifeline to the activists and civil society that comprise the movement in Belarus and the diaspora. HRF provides modest financial assistance to those Belarusians who have been fired from their jobs, injured, arbitrarily detained, or who face steep fines. The fund provides equipment and assistance to independent journalists who, at great personal risk, continue to cover events in Belarus even in the face of government repression. The fund also supports human rights organizations that help repressed Belarusians find legal assistance, and Belarusians that have had to flee the country to escape the repression of the Lukashenko regime. Recipients are carefully vetted by HRF in collaboration with Belarusian nonprofits, civil society organizations, and international human rights experts.
HRF has also partnered with leaders of the Belarusian diaspora to provide targeted financial aid to striking workers at specific factories, including GrodnoAzot, Belaruskali, and Naftan. The idea is to provide support to enough striking workers to effectively shut down operations at each factory, adding more pressure to Lukashenko’s weakening regime. If you would like to start a similar crowdfunding initiative, please email belarus@hrf.org. Visit https://hrf.kindful.com/belarussolidarityfund to donate to our crowdfunding campaigns.
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN BELARUS?
On August 9, 2020, fraudulent elections sparked massive protests against the brutal dictatorship of Alexander Lukashenko. Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians took to the streets to demand freedom and democracy, despite the extreme brutality of the state security services. Rubber bullets, tear gas, and beatings became regular tools against peaceful protesters. Tens of thousands of Belarusians were detained in prison holding cells, where many were tortured. Over a year initial protests, the democracy movement in Belarus continues. The United States and most European countries have isolated Lukashenko’s regime, placing sanctions on hundreds of officials, and recognized Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya as the rightful leader of democratic Belarus. The mass imprisonment of journalists and human rights activists have not stopped Belarusians from making their voices heard. According to the Human Rights Centre “Viasna,” in 2020 more than 33,000 individuals were detained, more than 1,000 cases of torture were documented, and at least 7 people were killed since the beginning of the protests. As of November 2021, Viasna reports that there are over 830 political prisoners in Belarus.
Yet, Lukashenko’s regime is currently at a point where nationwide public protests could usher in a new era of democracy. The international community can help sustain the pro-democracy movement in Belarus by sending financial support, as well as sharing information and standing in solidarity with protesters.