Political persecutions

Georgy was found guilty in October 2021 of "insulting a government official" for a comment left on Facebook under Vladimir Lazarev's post featuring a photograph of Lieutenant Colonel Sergei Rudko, an officer with the Bobruisk Main Directorate of Internal Affairs.

Olga was found guilty in October 2021 of "insulting a government official" for a comment she left on the social media site Odnoklassniki addressed to Viktor Turchinovich, head of the ideological work department of the Kobrin District Police Department. According to the prosecution, the comment contained an obscene and negative assessment of the "victim."

Vladislav was found guilty in October 2021 of "insulting a government official" for a comment he left on the Lukhta Telegram channel addressed to Kutsko, an operative of the economic crimes unit of the criminal police department of the Ivatsevichi District Executive Committee.

Igor was found guilty in October 2021 of "insulting a government official" for a comment he left under a photo of Igor Volnich, a traffic police officer at the Gantsevichi District Police Department, pinning a detainee to the ground with his knee.

On October 27, 2021, Andrei was found guilty of insulting Vladimir Kozlovsky, a police officer from Grodno who fell during a brawl on May 29, 2020, at a picket to collect signatures for Svetlana Tikhanovskaya's nomination as a presidential candidate. According to the prosecution, Andrei left a comment on the social media platform Odnoklassniki containing the word "scum" under Olga Karach's post.

Despite being classified as a second-degree disabled person due to heart problems, he was held in custody for almost a month. After the verdict was announced, Andrei was released in the courtroom.

Zukhra, a native of Uzbekistan, was found guilty in October 2021 of "violence or threat of violence against a law enforcement officer," "insulting a government official," and "defamation." According to the prosecution, she publicly insulted the head of the Polotsk District Department of Internal Affairs, Alexander Garus. Among the "victims" are also Lieutenant Colonel Denis Karasev, head of the Law Enforcement Department of the Public Safety Prevention Department, and Major Vitaly Sheshukov, deputy head of the Polotsk Pretrial Detention Center, whom she allegedly threatened.

Despite the fact that Zukhra cares for a child with a disability, she was sentenced to restricted freedom and sent to an open correctional facility.

In September 2024, the Presidium of the Vitebsk Regional Court heard Zukhra's criminal case in open court following a cassation appeal by the Deputy Prosecutor General of the Republic of Belarus. Following the hearing, the charge of "insulting a government official" was overturned, and the prison term was reduced by two months.

In January 2025, a court hearing in absentia was held as part of a special proceeding on the issue of replacing the restriction of freedom with imprisonment in a penal colony.

Denis was arrested on August 5, 2021, in connection with a criminal case opened under the article "organizing and preparing actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them," and was placed in a temporary detention facility for three days. He was subsequently released on personal recognizance.

In October 2021, Denis was convicted of posting the following message in the "Minsk 97%" Telegram chat on September 8, 2020: "Urgent, drivers on Masherov Street! Block traffic, prevent security forces from gathering, help the protesters!"

A resident of the village of Ilyich, Rogachev district. Detained under Articles 130 and 369 of the Criminal Code. On September 1, 2022, a verdict was passed: the political prisoner was found guilty and sentenced to 2 years and 6 months of imprisonment in a general regime colony.

On April 26, 2023, the Gomel Regional Court began hearing a new criminal case against a political prisoner. The political prisoner was transferred to Pre-trial Detention Center No. 3 .

As a result of the second trial, Andrey was sentenced to 5 years of imprisonment in a general regime penal colony. The trial was held behind closed doors on May 22, 2023.

On September 11, 2025, it became known that 52 prisoners of the Belarusian regime were forcibly transferred to the territory of Lithuania. Among them are citizens of European countries. Among those released is Andrei Stepankov.

Andrey, editor of the website "Virtual Brest," was found guilty in October 2021 of "insulting a government official" for a comment he left in the Telegram chat "Discussing Dangerous Brest" under a photo of House of Representatives member Igor Marzalyuk.

Tatyana was found guilty in October 2021 of "insulting a judge" for, according to investigators, writing an "offensive inscription" on the mailbox door of Brest Regional Court Judge Ruslana Albertovna Senko on December 18, 2020, "intending it would be read and perceived repeatedly." Tatyana pleaded not guilty.

Renata was detained on November 1, 2020, at a protest in Minsk. A criminal case was subsequently opened against her for "organizing or actively participating in group actions that grossly violate public order." She was detained again while attempting to cross the border and placed in pretrial detention pending trial.

In January 2021, Renata was found guilty and sentenced to restricted freedom.

Maria, a volunteer with the Gomel branch of the Viasna Human Rights Center, was detained late in the evening of January 18, 2021, and placed in a temporary detention facility as part of a criminal case opened under the article "organizing and preparing actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them." Her home was also searched. Maria had previously actively advocated for the repeal of the so-called "parasite" decree and sued district officials in the Gomel region who had banned protests against the decree.

She was released three days later on her own recognizance. Maria's trial began on September 3, 2021, and on October 13, prosecutors requested a prison sentence of two and a half years. Maria was subsequently forced to leave Belarus, and her case was separated into separate proceedings.

Yulia, the chief accountant of the IT company PandaDoc, was detained on September 2, 2020, at the company's office on charges of fraud by employees of the Financial Investigation Department.

Following the events of August 2020, PandaDoc founder Nikita Mikado launched the Protect Belarus initiative to support dismissed law enforcement officers who refused to follow illegal orders. The initiative received over 500 applications and attracted public attention.

Yulia was released in October 2020 on bail.

Yulia was detained and convicted for installing a scarecrow, which, according to investigators, resembled Lukashenko, in the regional center on Varshavskoe Shosse.

In November 2024, a court hearing was held regarding Yulia to replace the restriction of freedom with imprisonment in a penal colony.

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.