Vitaly Aleksandrovich Kovbenya

Olga was convicted for a Facebook post made back in 2020.

According to the investigation, by posting on her page, the woman demonstrated “a desire to present the authority of the head of state in a humiliated state in the eyes of the general public, choosing a method of disseminating false information and insults against the head of the country, designed to be familiar to a wide circle of people.”

She is expected to be released in early spring 2025.

According to the charges, at the end of 2020, Natalya posted an offensive comment on one of the Telegram channels under a photo of a man with the text stating that he was a district inspector of the Svetlogorsk District Department of Internal Affairs and was engaged in the political persecution of protesters, and was perjuring himself in court. And thus, according to the prosecutor, the accused publicly insulted a government official with an obscene and negative comment. In addition to the term, Natalya was awarded 700 rubles in compensation for moral damage.

On November 24, 2021, the regional court upheld the prosecutor's protest and replaced the sentence with 2 years of restriction of freedom with sending to a correctional institution.

In early December 2023, she was released after serving her full sentence as determined by the court.

Due to new persecution for political reasons on the eve of her release, she was forced to leave the Republic of Belarus.

Ilya, a Gomel volunteer and well-known rock concert organizer, was detained by KGB officers on July 8, 2021. He was arrested as a witness in a case involving an "act of terrorism," but was released on July 16.

Ilya was arrested again on September 30, 2021, in connection with a criminal case opened for online comments following the deaths of KGB officer Dmitry Fedosyuk and IT specialist Andrei Zeltser in Minsk. He was initially charged with "inciting hatred or discord," but during the investigation, the charge was changed to "discrediting the Republic of Belarus."

Ilya visited court hearings for political prisoners, helped with parcels, and wrote letters of support. His "Write Letters" initiative was shortlisted for the 2021 National Human Rights Award in the "Campaign/Initiative of the Year" category. Even behind bars, he continued to support Belarusians with letters of solidarity.

In October 2022, Ilya was found guilty and sentenced to imprisonment in a penal colony and a large fine. He was released in court because his time in custody exceeded his sentence.

After his release, political persecution continued: Ilya was repeatedly subjected to administrative charges and searches. Ultimately, he was forced to leave Belarus.

In November 2023, it became known that a new criminal case had been opened against him, and his Facebook page was recognized as “extremist.”

Evgeny, a Gomel activist, was detained after a search of his own apartment on May 28, 2021 and later convicted under the articles “organizing actions that grossly violate public order” and “public insult to a government official.”

He was released in July 2022, having fully served his sentence as determined by the court.