All persecuted

Alexey, a retired justice lieutenant colonel, held various positions in the Investigative Committee from 2012 to 2021. In July 2021, he was arrested in connection with a criminal case opened under the article "group actions grossly violating public order."

In October 2021, Alexei was convicted for participating in the post-election protests that took place in Minsk in August 2020. In 2022, Lukashenko stripped him of his title.

He was released in April 2023, having fully served his sentence.

At the end of July 2023, Alexey was arrested again. Propaganda outlets claimed he allegedly "attempted to involve his former colleagues in the resolution of the issue through bribery, acting in the interests of a Ukrainian citizen serving a sentence."

In October 2023, he was found guilty of bribery and sentenced to imprisonment and a large fine.

Andrei was arrested in June 2021 in connection with a criminal case opened under the articles "organizing and preparing actions that grossly violate public order," "illegal actions in relation to firearms, ammunition, and explosives," and "insulting Lukashenko."

In September 2021, he was found guilty of participating in the 2020 post-election protests in Minsk, insulting Lukashenko on YouTube, and purchasing, storing, and transporting a bulk substance without notifying authorized authorities.

In June 2022, Andrei faced a court hearing for "malicious disobedience to the demands of the prison administration," which resulted in his prison term being extended and the prison regime being tightened.

In January 2023, another court hearing was held on charges of "disobeying the administration's demands." As a result, the total sentence was seven years in prison.

Since April 2024 and as of early December of that year, Andrei's family has had no news of him. Their inquiries to the prison administration were met with a formal response, stating that he would report everything himself "through correspondence," but no letters have been received from him.

Igor, the leading legal counsel at Naftan OJSC, was arrested in the fall of 2021 as part of a criminal case brought against plant employees who supported the strike and were part of the "Workers' Movement" initiative. On September 21, 2021, this initiative was designated an extremist organization, following which mass arrests of workers occurred across the country.

In February 2023, Igor was found guilty of treason and the creation of and participation in an extremist group and sentenced to imprisonment and a large fine.

Vitaly was found guilty in September 2021 of influencing a law enforcement officer to change the nature of his activities by threatening to destroy property for a comment he left in the "Borovki 97%" Telegram chat under a photo of Sergeant Major Sergei Balabanovich, and was sentenced to arrest.

In January 2024, pro-government Telegram channels reported Vitaly's re-arrest . In a "confessional video," he stood in front of the camera, handcuffed, and said that he "called for violence against riot police officers only out of emotion."

From August to October 2024, Vitaly faced several court hearings in a criminal case opened under charges of "defamation of Lukashenko," "participation in actions grossly violating public order," "organizing mass riots," "calls for sanctions," and "inciting hatred or enmity." The outcome is unknown.

Dmitry, a street artist and IT specialist, was arrested in July 2021 in a criminal case opened under three articles, including "interference in the activities of a law enforcement officer." It is known that during his arrest, GUBOPiK officers beat and abused Dmitry.

In March 2022, Dmitry was found guilty of transmitting data from law enforcement officials to the Telegram channel "Black Book of Belarus" and sentenced to imprisonment in a penal colony and compensation for moral damages to the "victims."

Alexey, a Russian citizen and former Beltelecom employee, was arrested in November 2020 in a criminal case opened under eight articles, including "illegal actions against private information and personal data" and "interference with the activities of a law enforcement officer." It is also known that Alexey was severely beaten during his arrest.

In February 2022, he was convicted of "transferring personal and other personal data of more than 150 individuals to Telegram channels deemed extremist" and sentenced to a lengthy prison term, as well as to pay substantial compensation to the "victims," equivalent to approximately $30,000 at the time of sentencing.

Alexander, a BMZ employee, was arrested in the fall of 2021 as part of a criminal case brought against plant employees who supported the strike and were part of the "Rabochy Rukh" (Workers' Movement) initiative. On September 21, 2021, this initiative was designated an extremist organization, following which mass arrests of workers occurred across the country.

In February 2023, Alexander was found guilty of treason and the creation of and participation in an extremist group and sentenced to imprisonment.

In the spring of 2024, another court hearing took place, following which Alexander was transferred to prison.

Anna, a Belarusian Railways employee, was detained in the fall of 2021 as part of a criminal case brought against factory employees who supported the strike and were part of the "Rabochy Rukh" (Workers' Movement) initiative. On September 21, 2021, this initiative was designated an extremist organization, following which mass arrests of workers took place across the country.

In February 2023, Anna was found guilty of treason and the creation of and participation in an extremist group and sentenced to imprisonment.

Sergei, a Belarusian Railways employee, was arrested in the fall of 2021 as part of a criminal case brought against factory employees who supported the strike and were part of the "Rabochy Rukh" (Workers' Movement) initiative. On September 21, 2021, this initiative was designated an extremist organization, following which mass arrests of workers took place across the country.

In February 2023, Sergei was found guilty of treason and the creation of and participation in an extremist group and sentenced to imprisonment.

Valentin, an assistant foreman at the Khimvolokno plant, part of Grodno Azot , and deputy chairman of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union of Grodno Azot, was arrested in the fall of 2021 as part of a criminal case brought against plant employees who supported the strike and were part of the "Workers' Movement" initiative. On September 21, 2021, this initiative was designated an extremist organization, following which mass arrests of workers took place across the country.

In February 2023, Valentina was found guilty of treason and the creation of and participation in an extremist group and sentenced to imprisonment.

In October 2024, another court hearing took place, following which Valentin was transferred to prison.

Vladimir, a former control room operator at the Ammonia-3 plant at the Grodno Azot plant, was arrested in the fall of 2021 as part of a criminal case brought against plant employees who supported the strike and were part of the "Workers' Movement" initiative. On September 21, 2021, this initiative was designated an extremist organization, following which mass arrests of workers took place across the country.

In February 2023, Vladimir was found guilty of slander, treason, and the creation of and participation in an extremist group and sentenced to imprisonment.

In November 2023, another court hearing took place, following which Vladimir was transferred to prison.

Andrei, a former maintenance worker in the Ammonia-3 workshop at the Grodno Azot plant, was arrested in the fall of 2021 as part of a criminal case brought against plant employees who supported the strike and were part of the "Workers' Movement" initiative. On September 21, 2021, this initiative was designated an extremist organization, following which mass arrests of workers took place across the country.

In February 2023, Andrei was found guilty of slander, treason, and the creation of and participation in an extremist group and sentenced to imprisonment.

Sergei, a former operator in the Ammonia-3 workshop at the Grodno Azot plant, was arrested in the fall of 2021 as part of a criminal case brought against plant employees who supported the strike and were part of the "Rabochy Rukh" (Workers' Movement) initiative, which was designated an extremist organization on September 21, 2021, following which mass arrests of workers took place across the country.

In February 2023, Sergei was found guilty of slander, treason, and the creation of and participation in an extremist group and sentenced to imprisonment.

In the fall of 2024, another court hearing took place, following which Sergei was transferred to prison.

Alexander, a former legal adviser to Naftan OJSC, a subsidiary of the Polimir plant, was detained in September 2021 in Russia while attempting to travel to Warsaw. En route from Voronezh, FSB officers checked his documents, and, knowing he would be detained in Moscow, he jumped from a train, suffering a broken leg and a dislocated arm. He made it to the Ukrainian border. While attempting to cross legally, he was detained, handed over to KGB officers, and placed in pretrial detention as part of a criminal case against plant employees who supported the strike and were members of the Workers' Movement (Rabochy Rukh). This initiative was deemed extremist on September 21, 2021, and simultaneously, workers were arrested across the country.

In February 2023, he was found guilty of "illegal actions with firearms," "treason," and "creation of and participation in an extremist group," and sentenced to imprisonment and a large fine.

In April 2023, Alexander was among the top three finalists for the international human rights prize, the Global Advocacy Award.

In April 2024, another court hearing took place, following which Alexander was transferred to prison.

Anastasia was detained in August 2021 as part of a criminal case initiated under the article “act of terrorism”, and in June 2023 she was convicted under several criminal articles.

According to the indictment, from July 2020 to January 2022, an "organized criminal group" allegedly preparing extremist crimes operated in Belarus, Turkey, Poland, Ukraine and other countries. It included radical military personnel, security officials, athletes and businessmen who sought to seize power illegally. This case is related to the attempted arson of the house of MP Oleg Gaidukevich in June 2021 and the "organization of mass riots."