In 2023, the Belarusian authorities continued to violate human rights with regard to Belarusian students and academia. Among the most restricted rights in Belarus — as before — were freedom of speech, freedom of peaceful assembly, and freedom of conscience.

In 2023, the administrations of Belarusian universities introduced a cynical trend in “educating” students by arranging mobile court hearings held inside universities in front of other students and their parents.

Also in 2023, Belarus amended its law on military service so that studying abroad is no longer a valid reason for a deferment. This change has also increased both administrative and criminal liability for students already studying at European universities.

Over the past six years, there has been a steady decline in the number of students in higher education: since 2015, the number of students has fallen by 108,000.