Marina Svyatoslavovna Zapasnik
Involved in the issuance of politically motivated court decisions, at least 113 politically motivated decisions, for which at least 770 days of administrative arrest, at least 13,150 rubles in fines, and at least 84 years of imprisonment or restriction of freedom were imposed. En masse makes politically motivated decisions related to imprisonment. She handed down a 5-year prison sentence to a man who spoke about torture and rape at the police department. Tried political prisoners: Victor Aktistov, Maxim Babich, Victor Borushko, Vladislav Zenevich, Olga Klaskovskaya, Olga Pavlova, Sergei Ratkevich, Andrey Khrenkov, Alexey Chervinsky, Andrey Kazakov, Dmitry Pashkevich, Dmitry Skripko, Yuri Lizura, Irina Stashkevich. Judge in the case against the chairman of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" and Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski, his deputy Valentin Stefanovich, the coordinator of the campaign "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections" Vladimir Labkovich and Dmitry Solovyov, who left Belarus.
Involved in the issuance of politically motivated court decisions, at least 113 politically motivated decisions, for which at least 770 days of administrative arrest, at least 13,150 rubles in fines, and at least 84 years of imprisonment or restriction of freedom were imposed. En masse makes politically motivated decisions related to imprisonment. She handed down a 5-year prison sentence to a man who spoke about torture and rape at the police department. Tried political prisoners: Victor Aktistov, Maxim Babich, Victor Borushko, Vladislav Zenevich, Olga Klaskovskaya, Olga Pavlova, Sergei Ratkevich, Andrey Khrenkov, Alexey Chervinsky, Andrey Kazakov, Dmitry Pashkevich, Dmitry Skripko, Yuri Lizura, Irina Stashkevich. Judge in the case against the chairman of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" and Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski, his deputy Valentin Stefanovich, the coordinator of the campaign "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections" Vladimir Labkovich and Dmitry Solovyov, who left Belarus.
List of repressed
- 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.
- Associations
- Entrepreneurs
Viktor was detained on October 18, 2020, after the protest "Partisan March". Seeing the security forces, he tried to run away, but was knocked down and fell along with a riot police officer, who suffered a fracture. Viktor was brutally beaten and hospitalized. At the trial, he reported torture, but was convicted of allegedly tripping a riot police officer, without admitting guilt.
In the summer of 2021, he was convicted again under the article on “malicious disobedience to the demands of the administration of a correctional institution.” This article applies to prisoners who refuse to cooperate with the administration and for fictitious violations. As a result, his total prison term was 7 years.
In December 2023, Viktor's conditions of detention were tightened and he was transferred to a prison regime.
On 13.08.2024, the appeal was heard and the verdict came into force.
According to human rights activists, he will be released in April 2025.
- Associations
- Foreign citizens
A resident of the capital , Zakhar Pavlovich Kostko, is a citizen of Russia. He, along with Stanislav Akalovich, was accused of desecration of state symbols ( Article 370 of the Criminal Code ). In addition, Akalovich was found guilty of malicious hooliganism under Part 1 of Article 339.
- Associations
- Activists
- Parents of minors
Help to released from prison
Olga, an activist of the Country for Life project and a member of Svetlana Tikhanovskaya’s initiative group, took part in protests after the presidential elections and was repeatedly detained.
On November 15, 2020, she was detained in the courtyard of the "Square of Changes", where peaceful protesters gathered for a rally in memory of Roman Bondarenko, killed by security forces, under the slogan "I'm coming out". After that, a criminal case was opened against Olga.
In February 2021, she was convicted of “participating in group actions that grossly violate public order.” She left Belarus some time later.
In October 2024, a court hearing was held in absentia to replace the restriction of freedom with imprisonment in a penal colony.
Dmitry was found guilty of leaving a comment on Telegram on October 27, 2020, under a video of Lukashenko's speech, which, according to the prosecution, was aimed at portraying him as humiliated in the public eye.
In February 2025, as part of the special proceedings in Dmitry's case, a hearing was held in absentia to consider replacing his restriction of freedom with a prison sentence in a penal colony. The outcome of the hearing is unknown.
- Associations
- Detained under 18 years
- Students
Artur, a student, was detained on October 19, 2020, during a college class in connection with a criminal case opened for blocking a road in the Serebryanka microdistrict of Minsk on October 13, 2020. He was charged with "participating in group actions that grossly violate public order" and sentenced to restriction of liberty without being sent to a correctional facility. Artur was released from custody in the courtroom. He was a minor at the time of his arrest and detention.
- Associations
- Detained under 18 years
- Students
Maksim, a student at the Minsk State Automotive College, was detained on October 19, 2020, at about 7:30 a.m., as he was leaving his apartment building and heading to school. He was detained in connection with a criminal case opened for blocking a road in the Serebryanka microdistrict of Minsk on October 13, 2020. Maksim was accused of "participating in group actions that grossly violate public order" and sentenced to restriction of liberty without being sent to a correctional facility. He was released from custody in the courtroom. At the time of his detention and sentencing, Maksim was a minor, and he also has serious health problems - a heart defect.
- Associations
- Activists
Vladislav was detained and accused of participating in a protest against the results of the presidential elections that took place on November 1, 2020 in Minsk.
He was released in December 2023, having fully served his sentence as determined by the court.
| 30.12.2021 | 4.6.21 accounting is prone to extremist and other destructive activities |
Sergei was detained on August 30, 2020, in Minsk during a Sunday protest. His arrest followed a clash between police and protesters who were trying to prevent the detention of one of the protesters. He was later convicted of "violence against an officer of the internal affairs bodies."
In January 2024, he was transferred to another colony, most likely to IK-2.
According to human rights activists , he will be released in the summer of 2025.
- Associations
- Students
Viktor was arrested and convicted for defending a peaceful protester from an attack by riot police during a protest against the election results that took place on August 10, 2020 in Minsk.
He was released in December 2022, having fully served his sentence as determined by the court.
- Associations
- Activists
- Journalists
The former Narodnaya Volya correspondent was detained and convicted for blocking a road in the Serebryanka microdistrict of Minsk on October 13, 2020. In January 2022, Olga was convicted again for a comment addressed to a Brest police officer and sentenced to one and a half years of "house arrest". As a result of the addition of terms, her total sentence increased by six months.
She was released in December 2022, having fully served her sentence as determined by the court.
| 25.11.2021 | squad number 3 |
| 30.06.2021 | After the punishment cell, she has a monthly limit in the store of 58 rubles. for half a year. Therefore, he asks for everything in the transmission. Her mom needs help collecting gear. |
