“Anti-Extremism” Laws as a Tool for Suppressing Dissent

Source: Human Constanta. March 1, 2023

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LIST OF ORGANIZATIONS, FORMATIONS INVOLVED IN EXTREMIST ACTIVITIES. October 29, 2025

LIST OF ORGANIZATIONS, FORMATIONS INVOLVED IN EXTREMIST ACTIVIES 10.29.2025.pdf

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Understanding “extremist” lists: what constitutes “extremist” materials

There are six different lists in Belarus related to “extremism,” which are used to varying degrees to suppress activities the authorities deem undesirable. For an unprepared person, it is often very difficult to distinguish between them: many online resources end up on several of these lists at once, and individuals can be included both in the “extremists” list and the “terrorists” list based on almost identical grounds.

1. Understanding the “extremist” lists: which websites are blocked in Belarus and on what grounds.

2. Understanding the “extremist” lists: the list of organizations, groups, and individual entrepreneurs involved in “extremist” activities.

3. Understanding the “extremist” lists: the list of Belarusian citizens, foreign nationals, and stateless persons involved in extremist activities.

4. Understanding the “extremist” lists: the list of organizations and individuals involved in terrorist activities.

5. Understanding the “extremist” lists: the list of “Nazi symbols” and “Nazi organizations.”

6. Understanding the “extremist” lists: the list of “Nazi symbols” and “Nazi organizations.”

All of these lists have significant differences in terms of the procedures and grounds for being added to them, as well as the consequences and liability that follow from being included in a particular list. Experts from Human Constanta will attempt to clarify each of these in a series of publications.

“Extremist” Materials

What is included in the list Various symbols and attributes, as well as informational materials intended for public display, use, or distribution “for the purpose of promoting or involving individuals in extremist activity.” The list primarily consists of websites and Telegram channels. However, it also includes a wide range of other items – books, badges, emblems, paintings, CD-R disks, stickers, tableware, clothing, and postal parcels. In addition, the list of “extremist materials” contains banned texts, watermarks, hashtags, virtual stickers, as well as podcasts and songs.

On what grounds the list is expanded

Materials are recognized as “extremist” and added to the list by court decision. Such hearings take place as part of a special proceeding and, most often, in closed session. Frequently, the only piece of “evidence” proving the alleged presence of “extremism” in a given material is an expert opinion issued by the Republican Commission for the Evaluation of Symbols, Attributes, and Informational Materials for the Presence (or Absence) of Extremist Elements. The commission is composed entirely of members of parliament, government officials, representatives of law enforcement agencies, and instructors from state universities. There are no independent experts on the commission. Based on our data and investigations by independent media, the commission’s conclusions contain no argumentation, and its findings are limited to generic excerpts from legislation. They are identical in form and content, regardless of the diversity of materials reviewed.

Is it possible to challenge the decision to be included in the list

To take part in a court hearing concerning the recognition of certain materials as “extremist,” one must file a motion declaring themselves an interested party in the case, explaining what specific connection they have to the materials under review and how the court’s decision to classify these materials as “extremist” would affect them. For example, in the case concerning the recognition of the book “Belarusian Donbas” as “extremist material,” the author was recognized as an interested party. However, there is a consistent trend toward holding such hearings behind closed doors. In the official “Court Hearing Schedule” database, the descriptions of such hearings often do not even mention which materials are being considered for recognition as “extremist,” which effectively eliminates any possibility of meaningful public participation in the process. The “Law on Countering Extremism” does not provide any procedure for removing informational materials from the list. In theory, the only basis for exclusion could be the annulment of the corresponding court decision; however, no such cases have been recorded in practice. An appeal against such a decision is only possible if the court has previously recognized you as an interested party.

Where to access the list’s contents

The list of “extremist materials” is publicly available on the official website of the Ministry of Information of the Republic of Belarus and can be downloaded by any user. In addition to the ministry’s website, the list is also officially published in the newspaper Respublika and in the online publication zviazda.by

Consequences of inclusion in the list

The distribution, possession, production, or transportation of materials recognized as “extremist” entails administrative liability under Article 19.11 of the Code of Administrative Offenses. This article provides for penalties in the form of a fine ranging from 10 to 500 base units or administrative arrest for up to 15 days, including possible confiscation of the “instrument of the offense” (for example, a phone or a computer).

Dissemination of materials can take many different forms:

• forwarding posts in group chats or private messages,

• liking or commenting on posts,

• including hyperlinks to such materials in your own publications,

• reposting on social networks,

• posting photos containing watermarks from “extremist” sources,

• displaying tattoos with banned symbols in public places, and more.

Caution is also required regarding storage: even a screenshot of such materials saved on your phone, or files automatically downloaded into your messenger’s cache, may be interpreted as possession. Recently, courts have begun penalizing individuals simply for subscribing to banned Telegram channels, although there have been a few isolated cases of acquittal.

A particular feature of judicial practice under this article of the Code of Administrative Offenses is that individuals may be punished for reposting materials that were not yet included in the list at the time they were shared. Law enforcement authorities argue that citizens must monitor the most recent updates to the Republican List of Extremist Materials and, upon discovering any “banned” materials on their accounts, immediately delete them.

Visiting or mentioning “extremist” online resources without providing a direct link (if the textual name of the resource itself is not separately listed) does not entail liability. It is also permissible to store and share the content of texts originally published on “extremist” resources, provided they do not contain elements of criminal offenses such as “insulting government officials,” “incitement of hatred,” “defamation,” “calls for harm to national security,” “discreditation” and others.

However, administering or moderating opposition chats, including those classified as “extremist materials,” may result in prosecution under Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code (“Creation of or participation in an extremist formation”), which carries a penalty of up to 10 years of imprisonment. Any form of cooperation with resources from the list – sending information, photos, or videos; registering with bots; giving interviews; or performing assigned tasks – may lead to prosecution under Article 361-4 of the Criminal Code (“Assisting extremist activity”), punishable by up to 7 years of imprisonment. Financial contributions of any amount to such resources may result in liability under Article 361-2 of the Criminal Code (“Financing extremist activity”), which carries a sentence of up to 8 years of imprisonment. It should be noted that Articles 361-1 and 361-2 of the Criminal Code may have retroactive effect; more details are provided in our new analytical review.

Which resources are included in the list and how many of them

As of February 23, 2023, the list contained 2,954 materials. With the exception of a few items of neoNazi, nationalist, or radical religious content, the overwhelming majority were added for political reasons. 4 Most new entries are Telegram channels and chats (a total of 1,063), including large and popular channels, local community chats for cities, neighborhoods, and diasporas; channels publishing personal data of law enforcement officers; strike committees; opposition university movements; and many others.

As with the restricted access list, the “extremist materials” list includes practically all independent Belarusian media websites (more than 40 in total); opposition websites; platforms of opposition initiatives and solidarity funds; human rights organizations; independent political analysts; satirical political resources; and social media pages of individuals who posted opposition content. The list also contains texts that cannot be written without asterisks (“BELSAT,” “BYPOL,” “News 97%, Naviny97” “Zerkalo.io”), the hashtag #FreeBelarus, watermarks of opposition outlets, podcasts by political analyst Sergey Chaly, mobile applications “Digital Solidarity” and “New Belarus,” and Telegram sticker packs “Luka” and “Sasha 3%.”

In addition to online resources, the list includes confiscated postal parcels containing opposition-themed souvenirs, books with information unwelcome to the authorities or covers featuring opposition symbols, and patriotic songs.

Human Constanta March 1, 2023

Source Link:https://humanconstanta.org/razbiraemsya-s-ekstremistskimi-spiskami-chto-vxodit-v-ekstremistskie-materialy/

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