Privacy Policy

Who we are

Our website address is: https://openletter.belarusian.org.

BELARUSIAN REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY (BRA)

1207 Delaware Ave, Suite 4559, Wilmington, DE, USA 19806

PRIVACY POLICY & DATA PROTECTION PROTOCOL

Effective Date: November 1, 2026

Applies to: Belarusian Representative Assembly (BRA) Platforms, the International Working Group of Former Political Prisoners and Experts, and associated digital domains (assembly.belarusian.org).

I. INSTITUTIONAL COMMITMENT TO PRIVACY & SAFETY

The Belarusian Representative Assembly (BRA) operates under an absolute mandate to safeguard the security, confidentiality, and legal protection of all users, co-signatories, former political prisoners, legal experts, and civic advocates interacting with our platform.

Given the extreme risks associated with political persecution, state surveillance, and transnational repression, this Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, process, store, and protect personal data. We adhere strictly to the principle of Data Minimization—collecting only the minimum data required to execute our advocacy mandate while guaranteeing robust defenses for anonymous and confidential participants.

II. CATEGORIES OF DATA WE COLLECT

Depending on your interaction with our platforms, BRA may process the following categories of information:

1. Public Co-Signatory & Endorsement Data

When an organization, NGO, or public figure submits an endorsement for the Statement of Claim & Support, we collect:

  • Organization/Initiative Name, Country of Registration/Operation.
  • Authorized Representative Name and Title.
  • Official Contact Email.
  • Publicity Status: Information explicitly designated for public endorsement will be displayed in the public sign-on registry.

2. Working Group Applicants & Member Data

When registering or applying to join the International Working Group of Former Political Prisoners and Experts, we process:

  • Contact & Identity Information: Full name, secure email address, encrypted messaging handles (e.g., Signal, Telegram), and current legal jurisdiction.
  • Verification Data: Information required to verify status as a former political prisoner or qualified human rights expert.
  • Participation Designation (Public vs. Protected):
    • Public Core Members: Explicitly consent to the publication of their names, titles, and public bios on official registries and media releases.
    • Protected Members (Anonymous Experts & Witnesses): Name, identity, and personal metadata are encrypted and restricted. Protected members are assigned a pseudonymous system identifier (e.g., Expert #104). No identifiable personal information of Protected Members is ever published or shared with third parties.

3. General Site Interactions & Contact Queries

  • Communication metadata provided when contacting our Secretariat via encrypted email (press@assembly.belarusian.org).

III. DATA PROCESSING & PROTECTION PROTOCOLS

We implement defense-in-depth technical and organizational measures to ensure data confidentiality:

  1. Strict End-to-End Encryption: Sensitive internal communications, member rosters, and verification records are stored using industry-standard encryption protocols (AES-256) and managed through zero-knowledge or Swiss-hosted secure infrastructure (e.g., ProtonMail, encrypted database layers).
  2. No Third-Party Analytics or Commercial Trackers: Our platforms do not utilize intrusive commercial trackers, third-party advertising cookies, or data-monetization scripts (such as Google Analytics or Facebook Pixel). Site analytics, if used, are self-hosted, anonymized, and privacy-focused.
  3. Isolation of Administrative Access: Direct administrative access to internal databases is restricted to authorized officers of the BRA Executive Secretariat operating under strict Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs).

IV. LEGAL BASIS AND PURPOSES OF PROCESSING

BRA processes personal data under the following legal bases:

  • Consent: When you explicitly submit an endorsement, sign-on form, or membership application.
  • Legitimate Interest: To fulfill our institutional mandate of direct human rights advocacy, diplomatic outreach, and legal protection for Belarusian political prisoners.
  • Vital Interests: To protect the life, physical integrity, and liberty of former political prisoners and civic advocates.

We process your data strictly to:

  • Validate institutional endorsements and maintain the public registry of signatories.
  • Facilitate secure communications between Working Group participants and the Secretariat.
  • Transmit anonymized, aggregated advocacy reports to diplomatic missions (e.g., US State Department, Swiss FDFA, EU institutions, UN mechanisms).
  • Prevent unauthorized access, spam, and malicious cyber attacks against our platforms.

V. DATA SHARING & THIRD-PARTY TRANSFERS

WE DO NOT SELL, RENT, LEASE, OR MONETIZE ANY PERSONAL DATA.

Personal data will never be disclosed to third parties except under the following strict conditions:

  1. Explicit Consent: Public co-signatories who request to be listed on public statements or press releases.
  2. Anonymized Diplomatic Reporting: Submissions to international bodies (UN, EU, foreign ministries) are stripped of all personally identifiable information regarding Protected Members unless explicit written authorization is granted by the affected individual.
  3. Legal Compliance & Emergency Exceptions: Disclosure will only occur if compelled by a legally binding court order within our operating jurisdictions (United States), provided that such disclosure does not violate our core mandate of protecting human lives against illegal state persecution.

VI. ANONYMITY AND PROTECTED MEMBER SAFEGUARDS

For participants registered as Protected Members:

  • Your true identity is strictly separated from internal policy submissions and public reports.
  • Internal database records link your contribution exclusively to a pseudonymous cryptographic identifier.
  • In the event of a public inquiry, media request, or diplomatic hearing, Protected Members are represented exclusively through authorized public spokespersons or anonymized expert summaries.

VII. YOUR RIGHTS (GDPR & INTERNATIONAL PRIVACY LAWS)

Depending on your jurisdiction, you retain full statutory rights over your personal data:

  • Right to Access: Request confirmation of whether we hold personal data concerning you and obtain a copy of that data.
  • Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
  • Right to Erasure (“Right to be Forgotten”): Request the permanent deletion of your personal data from our active databases, subject to verification and legal retention duties.
  • Right to Withdraw Consent: Revoke your consent for public listing or participation at any time by contacting the Secretariat.
  • Right to Anonymity/Pseudonymity: Request transition from Public Core status to Protected Member status if safety conditions change.

To exercise any of these rights, contact our Data Protection Officer at press@assembly.belarusian.org.

VIII. RETENTION PERIODS

  • Public Endorsement Data: Retained for the duration of the official advocacy campaign or until consent is explicitly withdrawn by the endorsing entity.
  • Working Group Member Records: Retained for the active duration of the member’s tenure. Upon formal withdrawal or resignation, personal verification data is securely scrubbed within 30 days.
  • Log Files & Security Data: Server security logs are automatically rotated and purged on a rolling 30-day basis.

IX. CONTACT INFORMATION & DATA CONTROLLER

The Data Controller responsible for processing your information under this policy is:

Belarusian Representative Assembly (BRA)

1207 Delaware Ave, Suite 4559

Wilmington, DE, USA 19806

Data Protection & Privacy Inquiries: press@assembly.belarusian.org