Political prisoners

Ruslan was arrested in January 2021 and convicted of making and distributing "hedgehogs" in front of a convoy of cars participating in a pro-government rally in the fall of 2020. He was also accused of attempting to damage railway tracks by connecting the rails with metal wire, which could have delayed the movement of trains.

Ruslan is into extreme sports and arboristry. He loves heights and gets a thrill from sitting on a roof or hugging treetops. In prison, he discovered his talent for drawing. In his personal life, he works with wood, grows potatoes, keeps pigs and loves horses.

Ruslan has a benign brain tumor, as well as severe back pain , due to which he sometimes could not get out of bed.

Denis is a journalist and volunteer editor for the Belarusian version of InformNapalm, a freelance correspondent for Novaga Chas. His investigations touched on the influence of the "Russian world" on Belarus and Syria, construction in Kurapaty, and the transition of former Ukrainian Berkut officers to the Belarusian security forces.

In March 2021, he was detained by KGB officers on charges of "interfering with the activities of the police." Searches were conducted in his apartment, his mother's apartment, and his 95-year-old grandmother's apartment. In 2022, it became known that he was also accused of collaborating with Ukrainian intelligence.

In September 2022, Denis was convicted under articles on "treason" and "interference in the activities of an internal affairs officer", but the latter charge was later replaced with "illegal collection or dissemination of data about personal life".

In June 2023, he was transferred to a maximum security prison without notifying his family or lawyer.

In April 2024, the political prisoner was deprived of parcels, and sending vitamins now requires permission from the prison doctor.

Yuri was detained and convicted on several counts, including illegal possession of a bladed weapon. It all started with a video of a BMW driver beating up a man with a white-red-white flag. The video went viral on social media, and the address of the driver, Dmitry Davydyuk, was published. According to investigators, three Minsk residents decided to "teach" the driver a lesson by puncturing his car's tires.

Emin Givami Ogly was detained and convicted for setting fire to a stronghold in Bobruisk.

Pavel, an activist of the anarchist movement, was arrested in March 2021 as part of a criminal case brought against anarchists from the Brest region. He was convicted of "participation in group actions that grossly violate public order" and "participation in a criminal organization." It is known that the charges were based on an episode related to the "March of Non-Parasites" that took place on March 5, 2017, as well as events that took place near the building of the Brest GUBOPiK in 2016.

Nikita, an activist in the anarchist movement, was detained in March 2021 as part of a criminal case brought against anarchists from the Brest region. He was convicted of "participation in group actions that grossly violate public order" and "participation in a criminal organization." It is known that the charges were based on an episode related to the "March of the Non-Parasites," which took place on March 5, 2017.

Alexander, an anarchist activist and member of the Free Trade Union, was arrested in March 2021 as part of a criminal case brought against anarchists from the Brest region. He was convicted of "participation in group actions that grossly violate public order" and "participation in a criminal organization." It is known that the charges were based on an episode with the blocking of roads in Brest in 2018, when a protest against the construction of the battery plant took place.

Tikhon was detained and convicted for, according to the Investigative Committee, deliberately running over servicemen of the Ministry of Internal Affairs' internal troops during a protest that took place on August 11, 2020, near the Pushkinskaya metro station in Minsk.

In March 2022, he was re-convicted of "malicious disobedience to the demands of the administration of a correctional institution," a charge often applied to prisoners who refused to cooperate with prison authorities, and his regime was changed to maximum security.

The first time, Yuri was convicted for, according to the charges, in September 2020, while walking with friends near the Molodezhnaya Hotel, during a conversation he tugged at the national flag, which eventually fell.

In November 2021, his sentence was changed and he was sent to a penal colony.

In January 2022, he was released, having fully served his sentence.

On February 15, 2022, Yuri was detained again in a criminal case opened under the article "assistance to extremist activity." He received administrative arrest, during which KGB officers visited him. As a result of the beatings, he was suspected of having broken ribs. The criminal case was not closed.

In May 2022, he was detained again in Russia due to a wanted list, and in October of the same year he was extradited to Belarus, although the extradition case was formally closed on September 26, 2022.

In January 2023, Yuri was convicted again for helping other political prisoners receive aid from foundations. At the trial, he pleaded not guilty and refused to testify.

In May 2024, his sentence was increased and he was transferred to prison until the end of his term.

Alexander was detained after a protest against the results of the presidential elections, which took place on August 11, 2020 in Brest. At this protest, Gennady Shutov was shot in the back of the head, which Alexander witnessed. He was later convicted of resisting and attempting to kill Captain Roman Gavrilov, who shot the protester, and Warrant Officer Arseniy Galitsyn, who acted as victims.

Nikita was arrested and convicted of throwing a Molotov cocktail towards military personnel on August 10, 2020, according to investigators. The prosecution claimed that the bottles were hidden and given to him by Leonid Kovalev with an offer to set fire to a building, bus, or paddy wagon. Nikita refused to testify, did not admit guilt, and reported physical and psychological pressure in the pretrial detention center. At the time of his arrest, he was 16 years old and suffers from epilepsy.

In July 2021, he was convicted again under the article on "violence or threat of violence" for an incident with pretrial detention center employees. In June 2022, Nikita was transferred to an adult colony after turning 18, and in August of the same year, his punishment was toughened, sending him to prison.

In July 2024, the political prisoner was tried for “malicious disobedience to the prison administration,” a charge often applied to prisoners who refuse to cooperate with the administration.

Dmitry was arrested and convicted of throwing a Molotov cocktail towards military personnel on August 10, 2020. According to investigators, the bottles were transported to the center of Gomel by Leonid Kovalev, who hid them and handed them over to Dmitry and Nikita Zolotorev that evening with an offer to set fire to a building, bus or paddy wagon. Dmitry partially admitted his guilt, explaining that he threw the cocktail in order to buy time and avoid detention.

In December 2021, he was transferred to prison regime for “malicious disobedience to the demands of the administration of the correctional institution.”

Leonid was arrested and convicted for, according to investigators, making two Molotov cocktails, transporting them to the center of Gomel, and hiding them. On the evening of August 10, 2020, he allegedly found two perpetrators — Dmitry Korneev and Nikita Zolotorev — and handed them the bottles, offering to set fire to a building, a bus, or a paddy wagon. Leonid did not admit guilt.

Viktor was detained on October 18, 2020, after the protest "Partisan March". Seeing the security forces, he tried to run away, but was knocked down and fell along with a riot police officer, who suffered a fracture. Viktor was brutally beaten and hospitalized. At the trial, he reported torture, but was convicted of allegedly tripping a riot police officer, without admitting guilt.

In the summer of 2021, he was convicted again under the article on “malicious disobedience to the demands of the administration of a correctional institution.” This article applies to prisoners who refuse to cooperate with the administration and for fictitious violations. As a result, his total prison term was 7 years.

In December 2023, Viktor's conditions of detention were tightened and he was transferred to a prison regime.

Ekaterina, a journalist for the Belsat TV channel, was reporting live from the courtyard of the Square of Change, where peaceful protesters gathered for a protest rally in Minsk on November 15, 2020, under the slogan "I'm coming out." These were the last words of Raman Bondarenko, who was killed by security forces, and those gathered came to honor his memory. Ekaterina was detained along with her colleague Darya Chultsova during the violent dispersal of the rally and was later convicted of "participating in group actions that grossly violate public order."

In April 2022, a new criminal case was opened against Ekaterina, and in July of the same year she was convicted again, accused of “treason” and sentenced to eight years in prison three months before the end of her first sentence.