According to human rights organization Viasna, Belarusian authorities launched the raids on November 14.

Andrej Stryzhak, head of the BYSOL Foundation, which supports victims of repression, said that the organization’s “evacuation service,” which helps people get out of the country, was overwhelmed by requests for assistance following the raids. The exact number of detainees is unclear.

Observers attribute the crackdown to a presidential election scheduled for January 26. Independent media have reported increased activity by security forces since late October, viewing it as an attempt to intimidate citizens.

Activists describe the arrests as a suppression of dissent linked to anti-government protests in 2020 after the disputed presidential election that year.

Western governments have not recognized Alexander Lukashenko as Belarus’s legitimate president since that time, and the regime continues to suppress dissent.