Yana studied at the Faculty of Biology of Moscow State University and won international biology olympiads. In 2020, she registered as an election observer on the Zubr platform.
On February 22, 2022, when Yana came home for the holidays, she was detained during a search of the flat. The reason was a photo from one of the 2020 marches found on her social media. Together with Yana, her sister Tatsiana Barysovich and their mother were detained; the mother was sentenced to 15 days of administrative arrest.
In June 2022, Yana was found guilty in a criminal case initiated under the article "Organisation and preparation of actions grossly violating public order, or active participation in them" and sentenced to restricted freedom with referral to an open-type correctional facility. After the verdict, she was released from custody until the start of serving her sentence.
A few days later, the flat was searched again, and soon Yana left Belarus. She had to abandon her university studies.
In December 2024, an in absentia court hearing on toughening the type of punishment was held as part of special proceedings.
