This article was originally published by Siobhan Parnell on Novobrief, an Espacio partner publication.
In April 2021, eight months into Belarus’ largest ever anti-government protests, the nation’s key startup hub in Minsk – Imaguru – was shut down by the authorities. The company had been outspoken in its support for the pro-democracy demonstrations, which were spurred on by a falsified election that saw long standing president Alexander Lukashenko elected to his sixth term in office.