According to pro-government Telegram channels, four individuals—called a "sleeper cell of extremists" —were detained . They had "external ties" to Belarusian volunteers fighting in Ukraine. Dmitry was among them.
They all hail from Gomel and, judging by their social media posts, had been friends for a long time, having played together in an international game of Beer Pong in Gomel. After their brutal arrest , the friends were forced to record a "confession video" and testify that they had created a chat room where they corresponded with each other and, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, had allegedly insulted Lukashenko several times in their messages and also made "inappropriate" comments. Another accusation was that the boys "had external connections" with Belarusian volunteers fighting for Ukraine. Apparently, this was the basis for the criminal case under the article "assistance to extremist activity."
On May 10, 2024, the appeal was heard and the verdict came into force.
He was released in December 2025, having served his full sentence.
