There are 868 political prisoners in Belarus.

Omissions

• The MEP did not cite any source for the figure. The number 868 comes from Viasna, a Belarusian human rights NGO, not an official government or international body. The Belarusian authorities do not recognize these individuals as political prisoners and dispute the classification.
• The Viasna primary source directly accessible through search shows 841 political prisoners as of 21 May 2026; the 868 figure as of mid-June 2026 is confirmed by a single secondary news source (reform.news) citing Viasna data. The primary Viasna page displaying exactly 868 could not be located within the search limit.
• The claim was made on 17 June 2026. Political prisoner counts in Belarus are dynamic: Viasna added 10 more individuals to the list on 17 July 2026 (after the claim date), demonstrating that the number fluctuates frequently.

Sources

• PrimaryViasna Human Rights CentreAs of May 21, 2026, 841 political prisoners are being held behind bars in Belarus. Of these, 727 are men, 114 are women.
• SecondaryReform.newsAccording to Viasna, 868 people are currently recognized as political prisoners.