Support Belarusian Human Rights Defenders

The first half of 2026 has tested BYSOL's capacity — and shown where it holds. Two mass releases of political prisoners (December 2025 and March 2026) triggered back-to-back emergency campaigns. Both were completed faster than expected, raising more than the original targets. That kind of response is only possible when the infrastructure is already in place: verified application processes, disbursement systems, a team that can move quickly.

Some of that infrastructure changed this year. Part of our evacuation team left to build their own initiative, ProEvac. We updated our intake forms and continued operating without interruption. The evacuation service has been running since 2021 and was named Human Rights Initiative of the Year in 2023 — the work continues.

We also faced an organizational challenge: BYSOL's legal entities in Poland and the USA were not transferred to the current team as agreed following the departure of the organization's founder. The Lithuanian entity — where all operations are based — was successfully transferred. The Polish and American entities remain outside the team's control. We are transparent about this because donors deserve to know. It has created complications, but has not affected our daily work or our ability to help people.

Month by month, the numbers reflect a team that shows up consistently: 731 hotline consultations in five months, 192 payout applications processed, fundraising campaigns closed across every month regardless of whether there was an emergency campaign running. In April, we closed 17 campaigns totaling €143,000. In quieter months like May, we closed 10 campaigns totaling around €28,000. The rhythm doesn't stop.

Keeping this work going requires sustained support — not just during high-visibility moments like prisoner releases. The operational costs of running the hotline, maintaining the evacuation service, and processing applications are ongoing. Your support makes that continuity possible.

We are grateful to everyone who supports our team in these challenging times. Thanks to you, we continue our work, and 2025 was a special year for us.

BYSOL is known for its fundraising and evacuations—and in these areas, 2025 saw many important developments. Over the year, together with your support, we raised more than €1,250,000—over one million euros in aid.

This total includes both personal campaigns and BYSOL campaigns (for example, the campaign for children of political prisoners). In 2025, we ran about 250 personal campaigns, including 12 campaigns for Belarusian volunteers in Ukraine. Both the number of donations and their average size increased compared to previous years.

People welcome political prisoners from prison

Emergency campaigns for released and forcibly expelled political prisoners in Belarus were also significant. This year, there were two such campaigns, both record-breaking: €111,000 for the first and €260,000 for the second. Both were completed exceptionally quickly, raising more than double the initial goals.

The evacuation team worked intensively throughout the year. Efforts were influenced by the “Gayun case” and ongoing systematic repression. Even after release, many political prisoners were forced to seek safety outside Belarus. Over the year, we handled 140 evacuation cases. Behind the term “cases” are real people, sometimes entire families. Today, they are safe.

Support for political prisoners is another key area of our work. This assistance often plays a crucial role after release, helping people quickly buy seasonal clothing, medicine, or cover other essential needs. In 2025, we provided nearly 500 such payments.

Ales Bialiatski, Nobel Laureate and former political prisoner

We also provide informational support. This year, our Hotline handled more than 2,000 requests of varying complexity. The service is anonymous, safe, and delivered at a professional level.

We hope that in 2026, our solidarity will reach new records. Support the BYSOL team to make this possible!