Igor Grigorievich Kenyukh

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.

Anton, a volunteer for the Country for Life foundation and the Angel search squad, was detained on July 9, 2021, as part of a "KGB operation to purge radicals" and placed in pretrial detention on charges of financing the activities of an extremist group.

In October 2022, he was charged with "conspiracy to seize state power through unconstitutional means," and in November of that year, Anton was sentenced to imprisonment in a maximum-security penal colony.

Valeria is a political scientist, founder and editor of the website of the expert community "Our Opinion", author and editor of the "Belarusian Yearbook", head of the group of experts for monitoring "Belarus in Focus".

On June 30, 2021, after a search of her home by KGB officers, Valeria was detained and placed in an isolation ward, later transferred to a pre-trial detention center.

On February 6, 2023, the court began considering her case on charges of "aiding actions aimed at seizing power," "calling for actions that harm national security," and "inciting social hatred." On March 17, 2023, the court sentenced Valeria in a closed session to 10 years of imprisonment in a general regime penal colony.

Lyudmila is the former CEO of TUT.BY. She worked at TUT.BY since 2008: first as a legal adviser, later as a director. In 2017, she headed Tut By Media.

In May 2021, she was arrested in connection with a criminal case opened on charges of tax evasion.

In October 2022, the KGB added Lyudmila to a list of those “involved in terrorist activities.” She was later also charged with “inciting hatred” and “calling for actions against national security.”

The trial was held behind closed doors and lasted more than two months - 37 sessions in total. In March 2023, Lyudmila was sentenced to a long prison term and a large fine.

Marina has been the editor-in-chief of TUT.BY since 2004 and is known for her interest in Balkan culture and knowledge of the Bulgarian language.

In 2019, she was fined in a criminal case under the article on “inaction of an official” for accessing BelTA materials; human rights activists recognized this case as politically motivated.

In May 2021, she was arrested on charges of tax evasion, but the charges were later dropped.

In October 2022, the KGB added Marina to the list of those “involved in terrorist activities.” She was later also charged with “inciting hatred” and “calling for actions against national security.”

The trial was held behind closed doors and lasted more than two months, with 37 hearings in total. In March 2023, she was sentenced to a long prison term.

Tikhon was detained and convicted for, according to the Investigative Committee, deliberately running over servicemen of the Ministry of Internal Affairs' internal troops during a protest that took place on August 11, 2020, near the Pushkinskaya metro station in Minsk.

In March 2022, he was re-convicted of "malicious disobedience to the demands of the administration of a correctional institution," a charge often applied to prisoners who refused to cooperate with prison authorities, and his regime was changed to maximum security.

Ekaterina, a journalist for the Belsat TV channel, was reporting live from the courtyard of the Square of Change, where peaceful protesters gathered for a protest rally in Minsk on November 15, 2020, under the slogan "I'm coming out." These were the last words of Raman Bondarenko, who was killed by security forces, and those gathered came to honor his memory. Ekaterina was detained along with her colleague Darya Chultsova during the violent dispersal of the rally and was later convicted of "participating in group actions that grossly violate public order."

In April 2022, a new criminal case was opened against Ekaterina, and in July of the same year she was convicted again, accused of “treason” and sentenced to eight years in prison three months before the end of her first sentence.

Nikita was detained in October 2019 and convicted of attacks on the buildings of Pre-trial Detention Center No. 1 and the Minsk City Court in Minsk in solidarity with political prisoners. He was initially sentenced to 7 years in prison, but after an appeal, the term was reduced to 4 years. In May 2020, Nikita was transferred to prison regime.

In March 2022, he was convicted again of “malicious disobedience to the demands of correctional authorities,” a charge often applied to inmates who refuse to cooperate with prison authorities. In March 2023, he was transferred back to prison mode.

Throughout his imprisonment, Nikita is constantly under pressure. He is often sent to solitary confinement, where he is kept in isolation for dozens of days. He is deprived of visits from his family, his correspondence is restricted, and his personal belongings are confiscated. In response to the harsh conditions of detention, Nikita protests with hunger strikes and by refusing to comply with the administration's demands. He is also regularly subjected to penalties for minor violations, such as refusing to clean the courtyard or for inter-cell communication.

Three months before his release, in February 2025, Nikita had another court hearing on charges of “malicious disobedience to the demands of the administration of a correctional facility,” as a result of which he was sentenced to another year of imprisonment.

By December 2024, Nikita had spent a total of 568 days in solitary confinement, including 2 months of continuous isolation.

Nikolai is the leader of the unregistered Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Narodnaya Hramada), a former presidential candidate, a retired lieutenant colonel, and a PhD in engineering. He was one of the founders of the Belarusian Military Association. He has been imprisoned multiple times for political reasons.

In the 1990s, he organized protests, including the Minsk Spring and the 1999 march.

In 2004, he led street protests against referendum fraud, after which he was sentenced in 2005 to three years of restricted freedom. Due to an amnesty announced in honor of the 60th anniversary of Victory Day, his sentence was reduced by one year. In 2010, he participated in the presidential campaign and protests in Minsk, after which he was arrested and sentenced in 2011 to six years in a maximum-security penal colony. In January 2012 and May 2015, his sentence was increased, resulting in his imprisonment. He was released in August 2015 as part of a pardon.

After his release, he continued his political activity and participation in street protests. In 2016, the Belarusian National Congress was founded on his initiative. In 2020, he spoke out in support of Svetlana Tikhanovskaya , the wife of another unregistered candidate, social blogger Sergei Tikhanovsky . Nikolai was detained again on May 31, 2020, on his way to her election picket. He initially received 15 days of administrative arrest but was never released. Subsequently, in December 2021, he was convicted of criminal charges of "organizing mass riots."

According to human rights activists, the defendants in the case are required to pay compensation in the amount of 29 million rubles.

On September 11, 2025, it was reported that 52 prisoners of the Belarusian regime had been forcibly transferred to Lithuania. Among those released was Mikalai Statkevich. However, Mikalai refused to leave Belarus, and had to kick down the bus doors to do so. After waiting for several hours in the neutral zone, he returned to Belarus. It was only two months later that he was re-arrested. His exact whereabouts are unknown.

Sergey, a system administrator in the field of local networks and video surveillance, was arrested on October 2, 2020, in connection with a case of mass riots and accused of participating in Telegram channels of a “radical direction”, as well as of intending to damage or destroy three Tabakerka kiosks.

Artem worked as an optician at the Lida Optik plant. He received his education at the Grodno Physics and Mathematics Lyceum and the Lida Polytechnic College. He was detained on September 27, 2020, in connection with a case of mass riots and accused of participating in Telegram channels of a "radical orientation" and of intending to damage or destroy three Tabakerka kiosks.

In May 2022, Artem was convicted again for participating in protests that took place in Lida in 2020.

Alexander was detained on September 29, 2020, in connection with a case of mass riots and accused of participating in Telegram channels of a “radical orientation,” as well as of intending to damage or destroy three Tabakerka kiosks.

Irina graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences of BSU and in recent years was engaged in her own small business related to flowers and souvenir production. She was detained on January 12, 2021, along with Andrey Alexandrov. Irina was accused of "financing protest activities" and paying fines to protesters. She was convicted of "treason" and "participation in group actions that grossly violate public order."

On September 1, 2022, the couple got married in Pre-trial Detention Center No. 1.

Belarusian journalist Andrei, detained on January 12, 2021, along with his girlfriend Irina Zlobina, was accused of "financing protest activities" and paying fines to protesters. He was convicted on a number of criminal charges, including "treason" and "participation in an extremist group."

On September 1, 2022, the couple got married in Pre-trial Detention Center No. 1.

A member of the Council of the public movement "Dzeya" was detained on November 3, 2020 and convicted in the case of hacking the computer system of the Minsk City Executive Committee.