Political persecutions

Maxim was convicted of participating in "mass riots" in a criminal case opened after spontaneous protests against falsifications in the presidential elections that took place on August 10, 2020 in Brest. Before the trial, he was under a written undertaking not to leave the country, but at the trial on July 19, 2021, the measure of restraint was changed and he was taken into custody.

In September 2022, as part of a pardon, his sentence was replaced with "house arrest".

In March 2024, a court hearing was held regarding Maxim “on replacing the restriction of freedom without sending him to an open-type correctional facility.”

Sergei was convicted of leaving graffiti on various sites in Slonim and the Slonim district, including bus stops in the village of Shiloviči, following election fraud and the beating of peaceful protesters in 2020. One of the graffiti on an abandoned wall referred to the head of the local police department and conveyed the message: "The people will not forgive."

Timur, an activist with the "Honest People" initiative, was arrested on June 16, 2021, at the premiere of the play "White Rabbit, Red Rabbit" and convicted twice under administrative law. After 30 days of administrative arrest, he was not released and was transferred to a pretrial detention center as part of a criminal case opened under the article "Organization and preparation of actions grossly violating public order, or active participation therein."

In September 2021, he was found guilty and sentenced to restricted freedom and sent to an open correctional facility.

Timur left Belarus before starting to serve his sentence.

Anastasia was convicted in July 2021 for participating in post-election protests that took place in Minsk in August–September 2020.

Alexander is the chairman and founder of the Viasna Human Rights Center and former vice president of the International Federation for Human Rights. He is a laureate of the Andrei Sakharov Freedom Prize and other international human rights awards. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize five times and won it in 2022.

Alexander had previously been prosecuted. On August 4, 2011, he was arrested after Lithuania and Poland handed over his bank account information to Belarusian authorities. He was charged with concealing income on an especially large scale. On November 24, 2011, the court sentenced him to imprisonment in a maximum-security penal colony with confiscation of property. Alexander pleaded not guilty, claiming that the funds were used exclusively for human rights activities. EU countries, the United States, and international human rights organizations recognized him as a political prisoner, and his sentence was politically motivated. He was released in the summer of 2014 under an amnesty.

On July 14, 2021, Alexander was arrested again following a search of his apartment and office as part of a tax evasion case. In September 2022, that case was dropped, but he was charged with new charges of smuggling and financing group activities that grossly violate public order.

In March 2023, he was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment and ordered to pay substantial compensation. He pleaded not guilty in court.

In early November 2023, Alexander was placed in a PKT for trumped-up reasons. In April–May 2024, he was returned to his unit, but he continues to be under increased scrutiny. He works in woodworking, receives penalties, and is deprived of parcels, video calls, and correspondence. It is known that his previous stint in the Bobruisk penal colony has left him with health problems that persist.

On December 13, 2025, he was released after another visit to Minsk by US President Donald Trump's special representative, John Cole, and taken to Lithuania.

Valentyn, a member of the Viasna Council and Vice President of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), is one of the most renowned human rights experts and analysts. He actively advocates for non-discrimination and against the death penalty, and has participated in international conferences, human rights missions, and election observation missions in OSCE countries.

On July 14, 2021, following a search of his apartment, he was taken away for questioning and then remanded in custody as part of a criminal case under the articles "tax evasion" and "organizing actions that grossly violate public order."

In September 2022, the tax evasion case was dropped, but new charges were brought against Valentin: smuggling and financing group activities that grossly violate public order.

On October 27, 2022, during the 41st Congress of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Valentin Stefanovic was re-elected as Vice-President of the organization.

In March 2023, he was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment and ordered to pay substantial compensation. Valentin pleaded not guilty in court.

According to available information, the conditions of detention were tightened and he was transferred to prison regime.

On March 19, 2026, he was released after another visit to Minsk by US President Donald Trump's special representative, John Cole, and taken to Lithuania.

Vladimir, a lawyer for the Viasna human rights center and coordinator of the Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections campaign, was detained along with his wife on July 14, 2021, following a search of their apartment. He was taken to the Financial Investigation Department and then to the Investigative Committee for questioning, after which he was remanded in custody for tax evasion.

In September 2022, the case under this article was dismissed, but new charges were brought against Vladimir: smuggling and financing group actions that grossly violate public order.

Vladimir is a finalist for the 2022 Belarusian Human Rights Community Award in the Human Rights Defender of the Year category.

In March 2023, he was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment and ordered to pay substantial compensation. He pleaded not guilty in court.

According to available information, the conditions of detention were tightened, and Vladimir was transferred to a prison regime.

On December 13, 2025, he was released after another visit to Minsk by US President Donald Trump's special representative, John Cole, and taken to Ukraine.

Evgenia, a volunteer with the human rights center "Vesna" and a Russian citizen, was detained as she left her home on July 14, 2021, and taken to the Investigative Committee as part of a criminal case.

She was released on July 17, 2021, on her own recognizance, remaining a suspect. She subsequently left Belarus.

Sergey, the director of the Supolnasts Center, was arrested on July 14, 2021, in a village where he was vacationing with his wife. His home was searched twice, and after questioning, he was detained in connection with a criminal case opened under the articles "Organization and preparation of actions grossly violating public order, or active participation in such actions" and "Tax and fee evasion."

After 72 hours, Sergei was released on bail.

Yulia, a volunteer for the Country for Life foundation, was detained on July 9, 2021, as part of a "KGB operation to purge radicals" and placed in pretrial detention on charges of financing the activities of an extremist group.

In May 2022, the preventive measure was changed to a travel ban, after which Yulia left Belarus before the trial began.

Tatyana, a volunteer, was detained on July 9, 2021, during a "large-scale KGB operation to purge radicals" as part of a criminal case. Despite having a young son at home, she was transferred to a pretrial detention center and charged with "financing the activities of an extremist group."

In May 2022, the measure of restraint was changed to a written undertaking not to leave. Tatyana left Belarus before the trial began.

Andrey is the editor-in-chief of the magazine “Our History”.

On July 8, 2021, he was detained in connection with a case of “group actions grossly violating public order,” and his apartment was searched.

Released on July 21, 2021 on bail. Later left Belarus.

Viktor was convicted under the article "Hooliganism committed by a group of persons" for applying graffiti and inscriptions at bus stops. He fully compensated for the material damage in a pre-trial manner and admitted his guilt.

In September 2021, the sentence was replaced by "house arrest" as part of a pardon.

Alexander was convicted for a comment on Instagram on the channel "Typical Vitebsk" addressed to the PPS sergeant Vitaly Shnyavin, and sentenced to restriction of freedom with direction. He managed to leave Belarus before the start of serving his sentence.

In January 2025, a court hearing in absentia was held regarding Alexander to replace the restriction of freedom with imprisonment in a penal colony.

In November 2020, Elena took part in a medical protest at the 1st City Clinical Hospital, after which she was fined for participating in an unauthorized mass event. In March 2021, the doctor who worked at the children's clinic was fired.

In July 2021, she was convicted under the article "Insulting a government official", sentenced to restriction of freedom without direction and ordered to pay compensation to police officer Grushevsky.

In December of the same year, Elena was convicted again under the same article - for a comment addressed to the district police inspector of the Central District of Gomel, Artem Zhevnyak. The court again imposed a restriction of freedom and ordered her to pay a large compensation.