Aliaksandr Yarashuk, a prominent Belarusian trade unionist imprisoned for his defence of workers’ rights and democracy, has been awarded the 2025 Arthur Svensson International Prize for Trade Union Rights. The award honours his steadfast commitment to trade unionism in the face of brutal repression by the Belarusian regime.

Yarashuk serves as President of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions (BKDP), Vice-President of the International Trade Union Confederation  (ITUC), and is a sitting member of the International Labour Organization's Governing Body. Since 2022, he has been jailed for peacefully advocating for fundamental labour rights—an act internationally recognised but brutally punished in Belarus. The award announcement coincides with a global day of solidarity for trade union rights and democracy in Belarus, offering a powerful spotlight on Yarashuk’s personal sacrifice and the escalating crackdown against civil society.

The committee underscored that Yarashuk’s imprisonment and the dissolution of all independent trade unions in Belarus represent not only a local injustice but also a threat to global democratic norms. The prize—worth NOK 500,000—will be formally presented in Oslo on 11 June 2025, either in person or symbolically, depending on Yarashuk’s status, in a ceremony attended by trade unionists, international guests, and political leaders.

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