Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski wanted in Belarus and Russia as repression continues

Mass repression in Belarus continues, and it is too early to talk about a decline. That is how Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski commented on the news that he had been declared wanted in Belarus.

The human rights defender was declared wanted as far back as 5 August, but it only became known on the 18th. A card with his details appeared in the Russian Interior Ministry’s wanted persons database (which also includes people wanted in Belarus). It states that the Nobel laureate is being sought in connection with a criminal case, but no specific article of the Criminal Code is named.

Bialiatski believes that the grounds for the new criminal case may have been his public appearances in defence of human rights in Belarus.

"After my release, I actively commented to independent media on the catastrophic human rights situation in Belarus, spoke at international conferences, participated in meetings, and communicated information about the state of civil and political freedoms in Belarus. So it is no surprise that I also ended up on this list. I will continue my work — speaking the truth about what is currently happening in Belarus", — the human rights centre Viasna quotes Bialiatski as saying.

The Nobel laureate notes that the Lukashenka regime is now actively using this form of transnational persecution against Belarusian activists.

"On the one hand, they agreed to pardons for political prisoners and their exchange for the lifting of sanctions. But on the other hand, it is clear that mass repression continues. It is still too early to talk about a decline in repression in Belarus", — the human rights defender stresses.

Bialiatski was released as part of a group of other political prisoners on 13 December 2025 under an agreement between Lukashenka and the Trump administration. At that time, 123 people were freed following pardons.