Belsat.eu reported on 23 February 2021 that on 19 February, a letter on behalf of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” [see: https://www.trueheroesfilms.org/thedigest/laureates/7b5ccf60-bf81-11ea-b6a7-3533a3c74ec1]was sent to 85 email addresses of European parliamentarians and ambassadors, the organization’s website writes.
The letter was written in English. It said that “Viasna” was seriously concerned about increasing violations of citizens’ rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly in a number of European countries and called for investigations into such cases. Added to the text were 28 photos, probably downloaded from public sources on the Internet.
The letter came from an email account at viasna.spring97@gmail.com, which never belonged to or was affiliated with the Human Rights Center “Viasna”.
“We officially declare that we did not send any letters from this e-mail box and we have not disseminated any appeals to European countries. We consider such a letter written on behalf of “Viasna” a dirty provocation by the Belarusian special services,” the head of the organization Ales Byaliatski wrote [Ales is a widely respectdd HRD, see: https//www.trueheroesfilms.org/thedigest/laureates/72682FFF-628F-4A5D-B6B3-52A776FF0E47
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 
March 22, 2021 at 17:43
[…] On 16 February 2021, the Belarusian authorities carried out raids simultaneously throughout the country on the homes of staff and offices of Human Rights Centre Viasna, the Belarusian Association of Journalists and the independent trade union REP. The raids were carried out in Minsk, Homel, Mahilyou, Vitsebsk, and Brest as part of unfounded criminal proceedings under Article 342 of the Criminal Code of Belarus (organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order), which the authorities have launched to target civil society activists, journalists, and human rights monitors. According to Belarus’ Investigative Committee, the investigation is aimed at “establishing the circumstances of the financing of protest activities”. (see also: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2021/02/24/fake-letter-tries-to-discredit-viasna-in-belarus/%5D […]