Nasta Loika and Belarus's female political prisoners

Human Rights Research Center
3 hours ago
3 min read

March 12, 2026

HRRC calls for the early release of Belarusian human rights defender Nasta Loika and all of Belarus’s female political prisoners. These prisoners are forced to live in horrific conditions while being subjected to ill treatment at the hands of the authorities. Condemnation towards the government of Belarus must come from all areas, and continue until these human rights defenders are free.

Former prisoners from a penal colony in Homel in southeastern Belarus have described the horrific conditions they said they endured in the prison facility. [Image source: RadioFree Europe]

On March 6, it was reported that the health of human rights defender Nasta Loika is worsening. It is believed that Loika has not received adequate nutrition for a prolonged period of time and, as a result, is in immediate need of assistance. Loika has been imprisoned since 2023, when she was persecuted for her work protecting migrants and stateless people in Belarus.

Her situation shows similarities with over a hundred female human rights defenders who are currently imprisoned in Belarus. In total, there are 164 female political prisoners in the country, all of whom have faced persecution due to their political beliefs. Out of those currently behind bars, 33 were convicted as part of the “neighbourhood chats” case, in which the authorities claimed people were using neighbourhood Telegram conversations to try to seize power. These arrests were seen by many as the government’s attempt to crack down on growing dissent and anti-government sentiment.

It is thought that Belarus has around 1,200 political prisoners, and while life is difficult for all of these individuals, women are often affected in particularly severe ways. The United Nations Human Rights Council has described conditions for women as “horrific”, and the ill treatment they face in prison appears to be administered without discretion.

In relation to more general incarceration levels of women, Belarus ranks the highest in Europe. Despite a lack of transparency regarding accurate prison records, the female prison population rate in Belarus stands at 30 prisoners per 100,000, which equates to 11% of the total prison population. This is more than double the percentage in neighbouring Poland (5.3%) and Ukraine (5.3%).

In December 2025, the authorities in Belarus approved the release of prisoner of conscience Maria Kalesnikava, who had been held in a penal colony for more than four years. Kalesnikava was arrested as part of a group charged with attempting to seize power and harm national security. While Kalesnikava’s release inspired feelings of hope, Nasta Loika and the cases of more than one hundred others cannot be forgotten.

Glossary

Condemnation – Strong public criticism or disapproval of something.
Discretion – The freedom or authority to decide what should be done in a particular situation.
Dissent – Disagreement with the opinions or policies of a government or authority.
Incarceration – The state of being in prison.
National security – The protection of a country from threats such as war, terrorism, or espionage.
Penal colony – A remote prison where people are sent to serve long sentences, often in harsh conditions.
Persecuted – Treated unfairly or punished repeatedly, often because of political or religious beliefs.
Political prisoners – People imprisoned because of their political beliefs or actions, rather than for ordinary crimes.
Prisoner of conscience – Someone imprisoned because of their beliefs, identity, or peaceful expression of opinions, and who has not used violence.
Prolonged – Continuing for a long time.
Seize power – To take control of a government, usually by force or without a democratic process.
Sentiment – A feeling, opinion, or attitude about something.
Stateless people – People who are not legally recognised as citizens by any country.
Subjected – Forced to experience something, often something unpleasant.
Transparency – Openness and honesty, especially about decisions and actions so that others can see what is happening.
Worsening – Becoming more serious or severe.

Sources

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Nasta Loika and Belarus's female political prisoners

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