The year 2025 marked a period of intensive work, program development, and the launch of new initiatives for Legal Initiative—from documenting crimes and engaging in international advocacy to implementing educational and media projects.
One of our central priorities remained accountability for torture and ill-treatment. We continued the systematic documentation of crimes: to date, we have recorded 1,964 survivor testimonies, including 80 cases of torture and ill-treatment documented in 2025.
Our public investigations and analytical reports are already being used in international legal proceedings, and the collected materials have been submitted to the International Criminal Court. At the same time, our educational programs continued to grow. A total of 31 participants completed training through the “Human Rights in Action” School and the Summer School on International Humanitarian Law. We organized internships with human rights organizations, supported alumni in launching their own initiatives, and continued to develop our community through regular online and offline meetings.
Media and outreach work also played a significant role. Our YouTube channel continued to grow, and we expanded our formats—from true crime investigations to music and documentary projects, as well as educational content on human rights, gender-based violence, and LGBTQ+ issues. These formats allow us to communicate complex topics to a broad audience in an accessible way.
We also actively engaged with the international community by participating in UN events, thematic conferences, and expert platforms, submitting communications to special procedures, and initiating international processes, including a CEDAW inquiry into violations of women’s rights in Belarus.
Supporting victims remained a key area of our work. We organized psychological support groups, including in-person meetings in Vilnius and Warsaw, held online sessions, workshops, and recovery-oriented activities, and continued maintaining a database of victims while staying in regular contact with witnesses.
We further developed legal safety tools for Belarusians in forced migration—from launching interactive services to providing individual consultations and engaging with state authorities in different countries on issues of protection, legal status, and extradition risks.
Our gender and queer programs also expanded: we organized events for the LGBTQ+ community, launched campaigns against gender-based violence, developed internal and partner safety standards, and participated in international thematic platforms.
In 2025, we also introduced new formats for working with memory and solidarity—from theatrical performances and international campaigns to documentary films, music projects, and expert conferences that bring together survivors, researchers, and the human rights community.
For more details on each area of our work in 2025, please refer to the full annual report.