Svetlana Alexandrovna Bondarenko
Involved in the issuance of politically motivated court decisions, at least 117 politically motivated decisions, for which at least 600 days of administrative arrest, at least 15,000 rubles in fines, and at least 101 years of imprisonment or restriction of freedom were imposed. Judge in the “zero ppm case” against Ekaterina Borisevich and Artem Sorokin. She sentenced four anti-fascists for participating in “mass riots”, sending them to a maximum security colony for terms of 5 to 6 years. She also sentenced a man to three years in prison for defending himself from being beaten by Interior Ministry officers at a march of “non-parasites.” She imposed 15 days of administrative arrest on saxophonist Pavel Arakelyan for participating in a yard concert. She sentenced Alexandra Gerasimen and Alexander Opeikin in absentia to 12 years in prison.
Involved in the issuance of politically motivated court decisions, at least 117 politically motivated decisions, for which at least 600 days of administrative arrest, at least 15,000 rubles in fines, and at least 101 years of imprisonment or restriction of freedom were imposed. Judge in the “zero ppm case” against Ekaterina Borisevich and Artem Sorokin. She sentenced four anti-fascists for participating in “mass riots”, sending them to a maximum security colony for terms of 5 to 6 years. She also sentenced a man to three years in prison for defending himself from being beaten by Interior Ministry officers at a march of “non-parasites.” She imposed 15 days of administrative arrest on saxophonist Pavel Arakelyan for participating in a yard concert. She sentenced Alexandra Gerasimen and Alexander Opeikin in absentia to 12 years in prison.
List of repressed
Most likely he was detained on January 26, 2023 for the distribution, production, storage, transportation of information products containing calls for extremist activities or promoting such activities. After which a criminal case was opened under numerous articles. Before the trial, he was allegedly imprisoned in a prison in Zhodino.
On January 26, 2024, an appeal hearing was held. The verdict came into force.
- Associations
- Military
- Teachers
Former lecturer at the Department of Communications at BSUIR. This department is designed to train career officers for the Armed Forces and other security agencies and departments of the Republic of Belarus. Nikolai was initially sentenced to administrative arrest, and then re-arrested as part of a criminal case. He was convicted for three donations that the man made in August 2020.
From the moment he was transferred to the colony, Mikhail served 180 days in a punishment cell, then was placed in a PKT.
As of April 2025, he was transferred to prison regime in Prison No. 4 .
Alexandra was detained in February 2023 upon her return to Belarus and sentenced the next day under an administrative article for "dissemination of extremist materials" to 10 days. However, after serving her arrest, she was never released, as a criminal case was opened against her for two interviews with an information resource recognized as an "extremist group."
She was accused of assisting “extremist groups,” administering Telegram channels, inciting hatred, insulting the authorities, disseminating personal data, and slandering Lukashenko, and was convicted under eight criminal articles.
In March 2024, the court heard the appeal and reduced her sentence by one year, without the right to further appeal.
In May 2024, it became known that she was convicted again for “insulting a government official and a judge.”
In the spring of 2025, information appeared that another criminal case had been opened against Alexandra, and she was transferred to a pre-trial detention center.
Detained for insulting a government official in the Telegram channel "Punishermen of Belarus".
The case was heard behind closed doors. In addition to imprisonment, Andrey was sentenced to a fine of 12,800 rubles and court claims totaling 43,500 rubles. There were 31 "victims" in his case.
It is known that in the spring of 2024, Andrei was transferred from Correctional Colony No. 17 to Pre-trial Detention Center No. 3. Perhaps this may be related to a new criminal case.
As of May 20, 2024, Andrei was returned to Penal Colony No. 17.
- Associations
- Twice political prisoners
- Human rights activists
Ales is the chairman and founder of the Viasna Human Rights Center and former vice president of the International Federation for Human Rights. He is a laureate of the Andrei Sakharov Freedom Prize and other international human rights awards. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize five times and won it in 2022.
Ales had previously been prosecuted. On August 4, 2011, he was arrested after Lithuania and Poland handed over his bank account information to Belarusian authorities. He was charged with concealing income on an especially large scale. On November 24, 2011, the court sentenced him to imprisonment in a maximum-security penal colony with confiscation of property. Ales pleaded not guilty, claiming that the funds were used exclusively for human rights activities. EU countries, the United States, and international human rights organizations recognized him as a political prisoner, and his sentence was politically motivated. He was released in the summer of 2014 under an amnesty.
On July 14, 2021, Ales was arrested again following a search of his apartment and office as part of a tax evasion case. In September 2022, that case was dropped, but he was charged with new charges of smuggling and financing group activities that grossly violate public order.
In March 2023, he was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment and ordered to pay substantial compensation. He pleaded not guilty in court.
In early November 2023, Ales was placed in a PKT for trumped-up reasons. In April–May 2024, he was returned to his unit, but he continues to be under increased scrutiny. He works in woodworking, receives penalties, and is deprived of parcels, video calls, and correspondence. It is known that his previous stint in the Bobruisk penal colony has left him with health problems that persist.
- Associations
- Human rights activists
- Parents of minors
Valentyn, a member of the Viasna Council and Vice President of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), is one of the most renowned human rights experts and analysts. He actively advocates for non-discrimination and against the death penalty, and has participated in international conferences, human rights missions, and election observation missions in OSCE countries.
On July 14, 2021, following a search of his apartment, he was taken away for questioning and then remanded in custody as part of a criminal case under the articles "tax evasion" and "organizing actions that grossly violate public order."
In September 2022, the tax evasion case was dropped, but new charges were brought against Valentin: smuggling and financing group activities that grossly violate public order.
On October 27, 2022, during the 41st Congress of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Valentin Stefanovic was re-elected as Vice-President of the organization.
In March 2023, he was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment and ordered to pay substantial compensation. Valentin pleaded not guilty in court.
According to available information, the conditions of detention were tightened and he was transferred to prison regime.
- Associations
- Activists
- Human rights activists
- Parents of minors
- Lawyers
Vladimir, a lawyer for the Viasna human rights center and coordinator of the Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections campaign, was detained along with his wife on July 14, 2021, following a search of their apartment. He was taken to the Financial Investigation Department and then to the Investigative Committee for questioning, after which he was remanded in custody for tax evasion.
In September 2022, the case under this article was dismissed, but new charges were brought against Vladimir: smuggling and financing group actions that grossly violate public order.
Vladimir is a finalist for the 2022 Belarusian Human Rights Community Award in the Human Rights Defender of the Year category.
In March 2023, he was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment and ordered to pay substantial compensation. He pleaded not guilty in court.
According to available information, the conditions of detention were tightened, and Vladimir was transferred to a prison regime.
Artem, an employee of "Beltelecom," was detained on October 22, 2020, and sentenced for passing on the data of law enforcement personnel via Telegram.
- Associations
Vitaly was arrested on September 25, 2020, in a criminal case opened after a protest in Minsk. State television showed him with his hands tied in a forest, where he confessed to participating in the riots.
Pavel was detained in a criminal case opened after a protest that took place on September 23, 2020, in Minsk. He was convicted under three criminal articles, including "resisting a police officer." According to the charges, he called for participation in mass riots, which were allegedly planned in advance under the guise of mass events, blocked communications, and the resistance was expressed in disobeying demands to open the door, refusing to get out of the car, and holding on to the seat with his hands.
In July 2022, Pavel was convicted again of “malicious disobedience to the demands of the administration of a correctional facility” — an article under which prisoners who refuse to cooperate with the administration are tried for fictitious violations.
| 21.01.2025 | В ноябре 2024 был водворен в пкт сроком на 3 месяца. Вероятно подготовка к новой 411 |
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- Athletes
- Associations
- Athletes
A football fan of the MTZ-RIPO club was detained on September 26, 2020 and convicted for participating in protests.
The guards of Colony No. 1 repeatedly punished Tomaz with a punishment cell and transfer to a cell-type room (PKT). In total, the anti-fascist received at least nine penalties, including for refusing to "wash toilets." Based on this, a new criminal case was opened against him under the article on "malicious disobedience to the demands of the administration," and in September 2024, he was sentenced to an additional term of imprisonment.
- Associations
- Parents of minors
- Athletes
A football fan of the MTZ-RIPO club, he was detained on September 25, 2020 in Minsk and convicted for participating in protests.
- Associations
- Scientists
Candidate of Historical Sciences, adjunct professor at the Institute of History, University of Wroclaw. Melnikov specialized in military history and the history of the period when Western Belarus was part of Poland (1921-1939). He has published a dozen and a half books on Western Belarus. In 2020, he was awarded the L. Sapieha Prize for the preservation of the historical heritage of Belarus.
It is known for sure that he was arrested and is being held in a pretrial detention center. Melnikov's last activity on Instagram dates back to January 21, 2024.
Melnikov is being tried for an interview he gave to an unnamed independent media outlet in 2022. The trial is being held in open mode. An excerpt from the indictment was quoted by SB:
"In 2022, Igor Melnikov, motivated by national hatred and discord, as well as political and ideological hatred, knowingly knowing about the extremist activities of participants in an information resource banned in Belarus, gave them an interview in order to develop and popularize media of this kind and involve more citizens in such activities," the prosecutor said. It is noted that the historian gave comments to the media both in Belarus and in Poland. Melnikov reportedly admitted his guilt.
The Court of Appeal reduced the sentence imposed by the court of first instance by 2 years.
Igor was released in early September 2025, having served his full sentence.
