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.