Political persecutions

Yevgeny, a Russian citizen and rapper, was convicted in the fall of 2021 for a self-composed song that, according to the prosecution, contained insults against Lukashenko.

He was released in the summer of 2022, having fully served his sentence imposed by the court, and deported to Russia.

Alexei, a writer and teacher of Belarusian language and literature, was arrested in August 2021 as part of a criminal case opened under the article "organizing and preparing actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them." In November of that year, he was convicted for participating in a post-election protest that took place from August 9 to 10, 2020, in Minsk.

Left Belarus before starting to serve his sentence.

In December 2024, a court hearing in absentia was held as part of a special proceeding on the issue of replacing the restriction of freedom with a referral to imprisonment in a penal colony.

Alexander was convicted for a comment he left on the social network Odnoklassniki. According to the charges, he posted a single-word offensive comment under a photograph of an Interior Ministry officer detaining a participant in an unauthorized event during the pre-election period, "intending to insult a government official in connection with the performance of their official duties." Investigators believe he used the word "volnich" twice and, with his post, "negatively assessed the actions" of Senior Lieutenant Igor Volnich of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate.

Artyom, a Belarusian Railways train driver, was found guilty of "insulting a government official" for a comment he left on the social network Odnoklassniki under a photograph of Igor Volnich, a traffic police officer from Gantsevichi, kneeling on the neck of a protester.

Vitaly was convicted in September 2021 for causing bodily harm to police officer Vladislav Suvorov during a search on April 23, 2021. According to the prosecution, he slammed a door on the officer's fingers, causing fractures and scratches.

In court, Vitaly explained that he was at home with his family that day when he heard his wife scream. In the hallway, he saw his son and at least four men in tracksuits and masks, who were trying to force their way into the apartment without identifying them. In shock, he tried to hold the door open, unaware that they were police officers and unaware that he could have injured their fingers. Vitaly emphasized that if he had immediately realized they were police officers, the situation would not have happened.

The court sentenced him to restricted freedom with direction and payment of large compensation.

Left Belarus.

In December 2024, a court hearing in absentia was held as part of a special proceeding on the issue of replacing the restriction of freedom with imprisonment in a penal colony.

Maria, an English teacher at the Baranovichi Gymnasium, was convicted in September 2021 for her comment under a photo of Interior Ministry officer Vadim Yakimchik on the Telegram channel "Punishermen of Belarus": "...and I used to hang out with this d**k when I was younger..." A linguistic examination determined that the word "d**k" has a derogatory connotation and insults human dignity.

Yakimchik later filed a lawsuit for compensation for "moral damages," and in July 2022, the court upheld the claim.

Dmitry was convicted in September 2021 for a comment on Odnoklassniki under a photo of Andrei Komar, a senior district inspector in the Pervomaisky District of Babruisk. Komar failed to appear at the hearing and demanded 1,000 rubles in moral damages, but Dmitry only acknowledged possible damages of 10 basic units.

Vladimir was convicted in September 2021 for a comment he left on the social media site Odnoklassniki under a photograph of Vitaly Kuleshov, head of the Gantsevichi District Police Department. According to the prosecution, he intended to intentionally disparage the authority, honor, and dignity of a law enforcement officer and publicly insult him.

Irina, a Russian citizen, was arrested on May 28, 2021, in Brest and convicted in September of that year for a tweet published on May 23. It contained a link to a LiveJournal post reprinting a BBC Russian Service report on the incident with the Ryanair flight carrying Roman Protasevich. She added her own headline to the reprint: "Lukashenko's latest crime: an act of state aviation piracy." The expression "an act of state aviation piracy" was used in the BBC text as a quote from the Greek Foreign Ministry's response.

On September 1, 2022, she was released after serving her sentence and immediately deported to Russia with a 10-year ban on entering Belarus.

Vladimir was found guilty of "resisting law enforcement officers or other persons maintaining public order" in Minsk on the night of August 9-10, 2020. He was sentenced to restricted freedom and ordered to pay substantial compensation to the "victims."

Gleb was convicted in September 2021 for a comment left under a joint image of Lukashenko and Putin in the "Punishermen of Belarus" Telegram chat and sentenced to restricted freedom without referral.

In November of that year, a court hearing was held, following which the restriction of freedom was replaced by imprisonment in a penal colony.

Left Belarus.

Alesya was found guilty for a comment left on July 9, 2020, on Olga Karach's Odnoklassniki page under a post about a police officer from Bobruisk named Komar. Under his photo, Alesya wrote, "What a mug!"

Yulia was found guilty in August 2021 for a comment left in the "Partizany" Telegram chat under a message containing the personal information of Alina Kasyanchik, assistant prosecutor of the Frunzensky District, and information about her trial for the caption "We will not forget! We will not forgive!" According to investigators, the comment was posted with the intent to publicly insult a government official and create a derogatory image in the public eye.

In 2022, Yulia faced another court hearing for "organizing and preparing actions that grossly violate public order, or actively participating in them." She was presumably found guilty under this charge for participating in the post-election protests that took place in Minsk in 2020, as Yulia stated at her previous trial that she attended all the marches and remains a supporter of Viktar Babaryka. The outcome of the hearing is unknown.

Kirill was arrested on August 14, 2021, in connection with a criminal case opened under the article "organizing or actively participating in group actions that grossly violate public order." In September of that year, he was convicted of participating in a post-election protest that took place in Minsk on the night of August 10-11, 2020.

Later, Kirill left Belarus.

In February 2025, a court hearing in absentia was held as part of a special proceeding on the issue of replacing a restriction of freedom with a referral to an open-type institution with imprisonment in a penal colony.

Anastasia was convicted of “participation in group actions that grossly violate public order” in a criminal case opened after the March of Heroes protest, which took place on September 13, 2020, in Minsk.