Dmitry Pavlovich Kapuza

Dmitry and Olga Kapuzy, 36, were detained on January 16, 2024. The couple hails from the Drogichin district and lived near the Belarusian-Ukrainian border. Following their detention, state television aired a propaganda video, "Purge. Fighting Saboteurs and Agents of Ukrainian Special Services in Belarus," accusing them of smuggling goods from Ukraine. A total of 12 people were detained at the time. According to the propaganda, the couple allegedly worked for Ukrainian special services. It was claimed that the residents of the Drogichin district assisted the Security Service of Ukraine by seizing explosives and making caches in Belarus.

A propaganda video showed Dmitry being shot in the thigh during his arrest. Later, he was shown walking on crutches. Dmitry's brother was beaten on the head by KGB officers immediately after his arrest.

One of the released political prisoners, who shared custody with Kapuza in Pretrial Detention Center No. 7, said that initially , the charges were brought under Article 289 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus— terrorism . However, this article requires an explosion , arson , or other actions creating a danger of death . Then, the KGB reclassified the case under Article 356 of the Criminal Code—" Treason." As Kapuza himself explained to a cellmate, he owned a house in the village of Svaryn in the Drogichin district, not far from the Ukrainian border. He smuggled amber , cigarettes , and vodka there . He could transport the goods directly , or hide them and transport them in parts for safety. Apparently , one of the storage facilities was discovered by the KGB , and explosives were planted there. Kapuza learned of this after his arrest. During his arrest, people jumped out of the minibus , ran up to his car, opened the door , and without a word, shot him twice in the leg . Dmitry received minimal medical attention . He was lucky that gangrene didn't set in and that his leg survived. Dmitry, who hadn't admitted guilt at the time , was severely beaten to extract a confession.