Article 130 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus

Article 130 of the Belarusian Criminal Code punishes "incitement of racial, national, religious or other social enmity or discord". Part 1 provides for up to five years, Part 2 (with violence, or by an official) three to ten, and Part 3 (by a group, or causing death or other grave consequences) five to twelve. The phrase "other social" is the key: since 2020, courts have accepted police officers, judges, officials and "supporters of the authorities" as social groups, so criticism of them is incitement against a group.

The documented caseload is built on comments and chat messages. A remark about riot police in a Telegram chat, a comment under a news item naming an official, publishing personal data of a police officer, or a post calling officers a rude word has been charged as Part 1 or, where a chat is treated as a group, Part 3. Sentences of five to seven years for a handful of comments are common, and the article is regularly paired with 368 and 369 (insulting the President and officials) for the same texts. It is, by count, the most used political charge in Belarus.