Belarus is a leader in the number of police officers. But instead of fighting crime and preventing delinquency, the MIA fights dissent. The police exceed their authority with impunity. Women suffer from police brutality and violence.

We are launching our campaign “Beware, police!” because: women involved in Belarusian politics and activism during 2006-2011 were subjected to various types of violence by law enforcement agencies and authorities. An upsurge of violence was observed during the Presidential elections (at the beginning of 2006, at the end of 2010). The most common types of violence were unjustified detentions, arrests with beatings, fines, politically motivated dismissals from work, school and university.