Today, on January 23, 2024, Belarus is witnessing widespread detentions across the country. As of the note's publication, information is available regarding 37 detained individuals and 60 visits.
Important security information is provided below.
Andrey Strizhak, the head of BYSOL, reports that mass raids are being carried out in various cities by KGB personnel. They are approaching individuals, such as those in closed chats with close political prisoners and ex-political prisoners, seeking assistance from abroad.
According to human rights activists, the security forces are citing charges related to financing and participation in extremist groups in their orders.
Some individuals have been informed by security forces that the arrests and searches are linked to the INeedHelpBY initiative, declared an extremist organization by the KGB on January 16. However, information about the initiative's status emerged just today.
INeedHelpBY is a project that provides aid in the form of products to victims of political repression. Today, security forces reliably visited a family that received products through the project many months ago.
Marina Adamovich, a human rights defender and the wife of political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich, has been detained today. KGB officers also conducted a search at the home of Dissidentby creator Marina Kasinera's mother. Additionally, the well-known Vitebsk activist, 76-year-old Barys Khamayda, has been detained.
A comprehensive attack on the support system for political prisoners is currently underway. Security forces are conducting cyber attacks on websites and social media accounts of civil organizations.
We recommend that relatives of political prisoners and former prisoners delete any correspondence with funds and initiatives, check chats on the devices of relatives, and clean or delete them.
For your safety, consider the following:
- Clear and secure Telegram;
- Clear Signal;
- Clear Google account;
- Securely delete files from your phone (delete in a way that makes them impossible to recover);
- Check cloud storage/disable synchronization if necessary;
- Clear views and other actions on YouTube;
- Clear Facebook;
- Clear Instagram;
- Clear other social networks: Viber, VK, "Odnoklassniki," TikTok;
- Clear browsers;
- Install VPN.
If you have security questions, we are ready to help you. Get in touch via @tech_rescuer1 on Telegram.
Important! Double-check the name before making contact. Delete this account when security forces visit.
Furthermore, in a learning format, we can respond to your requests and help you master the basics of digital confidentiality within the project "Digital Support: Security Together."
This assistance project is launched by the "Country for Life" foundation in collaboration with the "APIRA" initiative.
Within the project, we:
- Teach the basics of digital security;
- Provide tools for digital confidentiality.
We believe that knowledge and the application of skills will become a powerful instrument of protection in the face of constant repression that Belarusians are currently facing. Digital security should be your defense.
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