In 2006, he graduated with a master's degree from the Physics Department of Belarusian State University. Before his arrest, he held the position of lead software engineer (a management position) at EPAM. In May 2020, Pavel, along with a team of other IT employees, helped Belarusian teachers set up a distance learning system. Pavel is married and has two children. At the time of his arrest and trial, his wife was pregnant; he had not seen their second child.
Judging by social media, Pavel was involved in social dancing (hustle).
The conviction was based on PayPal donations made between 2020 and 2022 to funds and initiatives such as BYSOL, BY_help, BYPOL, and others. Most of the donations ranged from 10 to 50 euros, with about ten transfers in total. Pavel acknowledged the transfers and explained them as a desire to help people affected by the protests or those who lost their jobs.
