1.1.3. Political parties

According to the UN Human Rights Council, the political landscape in Belarus is characterised by ‘deliberate eradication’ of oppositional political parties.54 Following amendments to the ‘Law on Political Parties’ in February 2023, all political parties in Belarus were required to re-register55 with the Ministry of Justice,56 which resulted in the dissolvement of 12 parties.57 These included the Belarusian Popular Front (BNF) – the oldest political party in Belarus,58 the longstanding opposition party United Civil Party, whose leaders were sentenced to prison due to their participation in 2020 protests, the Green Party, the Republican Party, the Social Democratic Party of People’s Accord, and the Belarusian Social Democratic Party.59

The re-registration process resulted in the approval of only four parties deemed loyal to the government60 and operating in line with ‘the national security concept’: the Belarusian Party Belaya Rus, the Communist Party of Belarus (CPB), the Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus (LDPB), and the Republican Party of Labour and Justice (RPTS).61