P700 / / Belarus
Political prisoners in Belarus: how to help them from abroad
Close to 900 people are still political prisoners in Belarus. How to write letters that arrive, which funds to support, and what not to do.
There are still close to 900 political prisoners in Belarus: the human rights centre Viasna counted 888 on 2 October 2026. Most of them can be helped from abroad in simple ways: by writing letters, by supporting the funds that pay for lawyers, parcels and families, and by not letting their names disappear. This guide explains how, step by step, from Vilnius or anywhere else.
Releases do happen. In September 2026 two groups, 25 and then 13 people, were freed and brought to Lithuania. But for every person who walks out, others are arrested, and the number barely moves.
Who the political prisoners in Belarus are
Viasna recognises people as political prisoners when they are jailed for their views, peaceful protest, journalism, donations, social media posts or help to others. Among them are journalists, lawyers, human rights defenders, students, pensioners and people who simply sent money to a fund or left a comment. Many have been in prison since 2020 and 2021.
Viasna keeps the main public list of names, with photos, charges and, where possible, prison addresses.
1. Write a letter
Letters are the simplest and most direct help. For a person in a cell, a letter is proof that the world outside remembers them. Prison staff read everything, so how you write matters more than how much.
- Find the address. Take it from Viasna's list or from Dissidentby. Copy the spelling exactly as shown.
- Write in Belarusian or Russian. Letters in other languages are usually not delivered. If you don't speak either, write in your language, translate it and print the translation.
- Keep it personal and calm. Write about books, films, pets, your city, the weather, a trip, a recipe. Avoid politics, protest, news about the regime or anything that can be read as a message. Such letters are not delivered and can make life harder for the recipient.
- Make it easy to answer. Add a blank sheet of paper. If you can, ask at your post office which stamps or envelopes will work for a reply from Belarus, because many prisoners cannot buy postage for letters abroad.
- Don't expect a reply. Many letters never arrive and many answers never leave. Write anyway; some do get through, and people later say these letters kept them going.
If you don't want to deal with paper, Dissidentby lets you send a letter online: you pick a person from the list, write the text, and the service prints and posts it.
2. Be a friend from afar
Politzek.me pairs you with a specific political prisoner. You become their symbolic friend, follow their case, and get small tasks: write a letter, share their story, remember a date. It turns a big, abstract number into one person you keep in mind.
3. Support the people who support them
A prisoner's family often loses its main income, and lawyers, parcels, medicine and trips to distant prisons cost money. Several initiatives work on this:
- Viasna documents cases and keeps the list of names and addresses.
- Dissidentby helps political prisoners and their families and runs the online letter service.
- BYSOL and other solidarity funds help repressed Belarusians and their families.
- Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's office keeps an overview of support programmes for political prisoners and released people.
Before you donate, check the organisation's current page for how it works and what it needs this month. Needs change fast, especially after a group release.
4. Help the people who have just been released
Released political prisoners often arrive abroad with very little: sometimes without documents, clothes for the season or a phone. In Vilnius, this is where ordinary people make the biggest difference. Follow the organisations above for concrete requests: a winter coat, a room for a few weeks, help with Lithuanian bureaucracy, a job interview, a doctor who speaks their language, or just company.
5. Keep the names visible
- Share one prisoner's story at a time, with their name and photo from Viasna's list.
- Mark the days: 21 May is the Day of Solidarity with Political Prisoners in Belarus.
- Ask your local representatives, school or employer to "adopt" a political prisoner symbolically and to mention them publicly.
What not to do
- Don't write anything political or anything that could endanger the person or their family.
- Don't publish private details (home addresses of relatives, health information) that the family hasn't made public.
- Don't send money through unknown individuals on social media; use organisations with a track record.
Write letters together
Letters are easier to write in company. If you want to gather friends or your group for an evening of writing postcards, a table, a few pens, a printed list of addresses and an hour is enough. ZOLAK is a Belarusian-run space in Vilnius where such evenings fit naturally: zolak.lt.
FAQ
How many political prisoners are there in Belarus?
Viasna counted 888 on 2 October 2026. The number changes daily as people are released and new ones are recognised.
In which language should I write to a political prisoner in Belarus?
Belarusian or Russian. Letters in other languages are usually not delivered.
Can I write to a political prisoner online?
Yes. Dissidentby lets you send a letter online, and the service prints and posts it to the prison.
What should I not write?
Anything about politics, protest or the regime. Keep it personal: books, films, pets, everyday life.