---
title: "Siarhei Besarab"
chunk: 2/2
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siarhei_Besarab"
category: "reference"
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
date_saved: "2026-05-05T04:12:54.675118+00:00"
instance: "kb-cron"
---

In 2020, he issued a scientific rebuttal to accusations against civil activist Stsiapan Latypau, debunking claims of a plot to poison law enforcement with agricultural chemicals. He also contributed to an appeal by Belarusian scientists condemning state violence following the contested presidential election, actions that led to his dismissal from the Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry and a professional ban. His inclusion in the list of repressed Belarusian scientists prompted the scientific community to publish The Scientists’ Open Letter Against Repressions, signed by over 800 academics.
In response to ongoing repression, Besarab co-founded the Belarusian Scientific Solidarity Fund to support persecuted scholars. He further opposed the Russian invasion of Ukraine by publishing an open letter on behalf of the Belarusian scientific community, despite backlash from the NASB. As part of the Until All Are Free campaign, he became an advocate for political prisoner Artsiom Bayarski, a chemistry student targeted for his involvement in post-election protests.
As a public defender of academic freedom Besarab has consistently highlighted issues in Belarusian science, such as censorship, lack of academic freedom, and opaque funding practices. His data-driven initiatives include mapping the repression of Belarusian citizens and scientists, producing analyses like the "map of Belarusian extremism" and profiles of repressed academics. Through his activism, Besarab remains a vocal proponent of transparency and reform in science policy and education.
In October 2025, Besarab published an analysis disputing allegations that weather balloons drifting into Lithuania were used for smuggling. He argued that such methods were not economically viable and characterized the objects as educational tools.
In early 2026, Besarab published a report analyzing the arrest of Belarusian amateur radio operators on treason charges. He argued that the equipment cited by authorities was technically incapable of the alleged espionage. This analysis attracted international attention to the crackdown, with coverage by technology outlets such as 404 Media and Boing Boing, which highlighted the suppression of technical hobbyist communities in Belarus. The report was also circulated by international radio organizations, including the French Union of Radio Amateurs (UFRC). According to Besarab, the crackdown threatens national emergency response capabilities, as radio hobbyists often provide critical communication support during natural disasters.

Besarab is an active advocate for the preservation of national digital heritage and cultural archives. In April 2026, he acted as a key catalyst for one of the most prominent ethical debates regarding hacktivism in Belarusian society. Following a disruptive cyberattack on the electronic catalog of the National Library of Belarus by the hacker collective Cyber Partisans, Besarab publicly condemned the incident. He emphasized that risking the destruction of historical digital catalogs and archives disproportionately harms future generations of scholars rather than affecting the ruling political regime, categorizing such acts as digitally irresponsible. Besarab's vocal opposition, supported by other figures within the Belarusian cultural intelligentsia, triggered a widespread debate in the opposition media concerning the problem of "collateral damage" applied to civil infrastructure. The debate's impact was substantial enough to force radical media commentators who had initially dismissed the academic community's concerns to issue public apologies to the researchers.
In April 2026, Besarab was an invited speaker at TEDxUlicaMinska, an independently organized TEDx conference held in Warsaw by the Belarusian diaspora. In his talk on radiation safety, he addressed the psychological and societal impacts of radiophobia, arguing that an objective understanding of radiation physics and basic scientific literacy are the most effective tools to combat irrational fear of modern technological risks.

== Political persecution ==
Besarab gained prominence among Russian and Belarusian speaking readers for his critical analyses of radiation safety. His reputation as a technical expert became particularly notable after the launch of the Astravets Nuclear Power Plant, where he emerged as one of the leading public critics of the station's radiation safety systems.
In spring 2023, amidst heightened geopolitical tensions, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced plans to bring Russian tactical nuclear weapons into Belarus. Besarab responded by publishing detailed descriptions of potential storage sites for these weapons on his blog and engaging with independent media to discuss the associated risks. This activity placed him in direct conflict with Belarusian authorities, who subsequently labeled all content from his science blog as extremist material (see Classification of extremist materials in Belarus for details).
Facing mounting pressure, Besarab became the target of criminal charges for allegedly causing harm to the state. The Belarusian KGB threatened him with imprisonment, prompting his decision to flee the country and seek political asylum within the European Union to ensure his safety.

== Footnotes ==

== References ==

== External links ==
In-depth interview with Siarhei Besarab about his scientific work, political views, and dismissal from the Academy of Sciences – interview with Mikita Melkazioraŭ on the "жыццё-малiна" YouTube channel, 16 September 2023 (in Belarusian)
In-depth interview on the state of Belarusian science, criticism of the Astravets NPP, and the achievements of Belarusian scientists – interview with Aleksandr Ivulin on the "ЧестнОК-LIVE" YouTube channel, 18 October 2025 (in Belarusian)
"Лоботомія нації: чому інтелект став головним ворогом білоруського режиму" [Lobotomy of a nation. Why intellect became the enemy of the state in Belarus]. argumentua.com (in Ukrainian).{{cite web}}:  CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)