Paris, 20 March 2026. On 19 March 2026, 250 prisoners were released in Belarus, among them Viasna human rights defender and coordinator of Viasna’s Volunteer Service Marfa Rabkova, Viasna Board member and former FIDH Vice President Valiantsin Stefanovic, and Belarusian NGO Human Constanta co-founder Nasta Loika. All three human rights defenders had been unjustly imprisoned in retaliation for their legitimate human rights work and have spent several years in prison.
FIDH welcomes the release of its colleagues, who were unjustly imprisoned in retaliation to their human rights work, and expresses its relief and solidarity with its colleagues and their families.
"Seeing the brave Viasna defenders finally free is an immense relief. Valiantsin and I were elected together as FIDH Vice Presidents at the Congress in Taipei in 2019, and we got to know each other while serving on FIDH’s International Board. Then, Valiantsin was arrested in July 2021 and convicted for his rightful work of defense of human rights in the dictatorship that is Belarus. My deepest respect for my friend Valiantsin, for Marfa and all the political prisoners", declares Alexis Deswaef, FIDH President.
Marfa Rabkova was violently detained on 17 September 2020 and was sentenced to 14 years and nine months in prison for documenting human rights violations and organising monitoring for the 2020 Presidential elections. While in detention, her health deteriorated significantly due to inhumane prison conditions. Marfa Rabkova’s requests for a meeting with her family were declined several times, even following her father’s death.
Valiantsin Stefanovic was detained on 14 July 2021 and was sentenced to nine years in a high-security prison facility on fabricated money smuggling charges. While imprisoned, he was subjected to pressure and severe ill-treatment, including solitary confinement and limited contact with his family.
Nasta Loika was detained on 28 October 2022 and was sentenced to seven years in prison. She was accused of inciting hatred and receiving foreign funding. In detention, Nasta Loika has reportedly been subjected to torture and inhuman treatment, and developed serious health problems.
It is unclear whether Marfa Rabkova, Valiantsin Stefanovic and Nasta Loika had a choice to stay in Belarus. Earlier, the Belarusian authorities expelled those released against their will, including without providing them with documents, which might amount to the crime against humanity of deportation.
These releases form part of a continuous negotiation process between the Belarusian and the United States (US) authorities. Previously, on 13 December 2025, the Belarusian authorities had released over 120 political prisoners, including Viasna founder and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski and Viasna lawyer Uladzimir Labkovich, in return for lifting of some US sanctions against the Lukashenka regime. Following their release, Viasna human rights defenders were deported from Belarus to European countries.
FIDH urges the Belarusian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all those imprisoned on politically motivated charges, and to cease all politically motivated persecution, which may amount to crimes against humanity. FIDH also calls on the international community to support and protect those released from Belarusian detention, including by providing them with medical, psychological and financial support.