We continue telling the stories of criminal political persecution that has affected entire families. In the first part of the article, we collected 58 such stories.
59. Vladimir and Yuri Sedenevsky were convicted over the events in Hrodna on 6 September 2020. The brothers each received 3 years of restricted freedom in an open-type correctional facility.
60. Zhanna Zakharkevich and Nadezhda Stepantsova were also convicted over the events in Hrodna on 6 September 2020. The sisters were sentenced to 3 and 3.5 years of restricted freedom in an open-type correctional facility respectively. The women did not go to serve their sentences, but successfully left Belarus and are now in forced emigration.
61. Illia and Mikita Valentsinovich. The brothers were detained on the same day and sent to a pre-trial detention centre (SIZO). They spent more than 3 months there, after which each was sentenced to 3 years of “home chemistry” (restricted freedom at home) for taking part in protests.
62. Olga and Anton Shablyko. Before her arrest, Olga worked as an English teacher at Belarusian State University, while Anton organised outdoor activities: kayaking trips on rivers and lakes. In 2020 the couple were detained in an administrative case for taking part in protests, and in 2022 for taking part in an anti-war protest. Later they were convicted under a criminal article for taking part in protests and each sentenced to 3 years of “home chemistry”.
63. Svetlana and Alexander Dubovik. It is known that the couple were sentenced to 3 years of “home chemistry” for taking part in protests.
64. Arseny and Yauhen Siniak. The brothers were convicted for taking part in protests in Brest. Each was sentenced to 2 years of restricted freedom in an open-type correctional facility, but they successfully left Belarus and are in forced emigration.
65. Polina and Ivan Leshko. The couple were sentenced to 1.5 years of “home chemistry” for taking part in protests in Brest. They did not serve their sentences and left Belarus. The family has a child.
66. Dmitry Sadovoy and Anna Orekhova. The couple from Smalyavichy were sentenced to 2 years of “home chemistry” for taking part in protests. It is known that they were held in a SIZO before the trial.
67. Anastasia and Dzianis Yarovsky. Dzianis was sentenced to 1.5 years’ imprisonment for taking part in protests. Anastasia successfully left Belarus together with their child. The couple were defendants in the same case as Dzmitry Luksha and Palina Palavinka, who is Anastasia’s sister.
68. Alexei and Ekaterina Suslov. It is known that the couple are accused of taking part in protests. Their status and sentence are unknown.
69. Alexandra and Evgeny Kryazhev. The couple were sentenced to 2.5 years of “home chemistry” for taking part in protests.
70. Inna and Valeryia Hlinskaia. The mother and daughter were detained on 21 December 2021 in the “Black Book of Belarus” case for passing on data about police officers involved in the repression. The women worked at MTBank. Inna and Valeryia were sentenced to 7 and 6 years’ imprisonment respectively.
71. Vitaly and Olga Vasilevich. Vitaly is the general director of the company «Bellesizdelie»; he also built the 16-storey «Titul» business centre in Minsk. Pro-government sources called the detainee a «dollar millionaire» and accused him of having «refused to let police officers onto the company’s premises». «Upon careful inspection», photographs from protests were found on him. Vitaly and his wife Olga were placed in a SIZO, where they spent more than 3 months, and were sentenced to 2.5 years of “home chemistry”.
72. Svetlana and Artyom Shafransky. They were detained for taking part in protests. Svetlana was released on bail of 9,600 rubles, while Artyom was held in a SIZO until the trial. In the end, the Shafranskys were sentenced to 2.5 years of “home chemistry”.
73. Ekaterina and Siarhei Chereshko. Siarhei, a presenter and blogger, was detained together with his wife for taking part in protests. Ekaterina was released on a written undertaking not to leave, while Siarhei was sent to a SIZO. At the time of publication the trial is under way and the sentence is not yet known. The family has two underage children.
74. Dmitry and Ekaterina Levkovich. The couple were detained for taking part in protests and were eventually sentenced to 3 years of “home chemistry”.
75. Alena Yahorychava and Ihar Pazniakou. The couple were detained for taking part in protests in Hrodna. As a result, Alena was sentenced to 2.5 years’ imprisonment, and Ihar to 2.5 years of restricted freedom in an open-type correctional facility.
76. Viachaslau and Henadz Smirnou. The father and son were convicted for putting up leaflets reading – «Adolf Grigoryevich Lukashenka» and «We need a corpse in the king’s clothes, not a living idiot at the helm». Henadz, the father, was sentenced to 2.5 years’ imprisonment, and Viachaslau to 2 years of restricted freedom in an open-type correctional facility.
77. Maria and Nikolai Korotenko. The couple were convicted for taking part in protests; the final sentence is unknown.
78. Maria and Nikolai Kostenko. Maria is a geography teacher at School No. 38 in Minsk; Nikolai is deputy head of the corporate web resources management department of the Belarusian Railway. It is known that the couple have two children. According to pro-government channels, the family was detained for taking part in protests. The final sentence and status of the Kostenkos are unknown.
79. Vitaly and Vladislav Kuznechik. The father and son wanted to ask Sweden for political asylum, as they were being persecuted by the security forces for taking part in protests. On 11 September 2020 they were turned away at the Swedish embassy in Minsk because the diplomatic mission is not responsible for this procedure. The men then climbed over the fence and stayed on the grounds of the mission. That same day, police officers and unidentified masked men were on duty near the embassy. The security forces asked the embassy to hand over the Belarusians hiding on the mission’s grounds, but this did not happen. Almost two years later, the men managed to leave Belarus.
80. Diana and Vladimir Lysak. The couple were detained for taking part in protests. Vladimir was sentenced to 1.5 years’ imprisonment, and Diana to 3 years of “home chemistry”.
81. Arseny and Alexandra Gaevsky. The couple were convicted for taking part in protests. The final sentence is unknown.
82. Anna and Evgeny Osinsky. The couple were convicted for taking part in protests. The final sentence is unknown.
83. Ivan and Mikalai Kuliashou. Ivan, a 4th-year student at BSUIR, was sentenced to 3 years of “home chemistry” for taking part in protests. Ivan is now in emigration. Mikalai, on the other hand, was detained much later and in a completely different case. He is a former customs officer and an activist of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party «Hramada». He is accused of helping people, for money, to cross the Belarusian-Lithuanian border illegally, as well as of creating or participating in an extremist formation. Anita Bakunovich and Egor Kurzin are co-defendants in his case.
84. Jan and Ales Papkovich. In early September 2022, the Telegram channel of the volunteer initiative «Lists of Detainees» published information about the detention of an entire family: Jan, Anastasia and Ales Papkovich. Jan spent a month in the KGB SIZO, where he was tortured and could not walk. In reports on Belarusian state TV, Jan was portrayed as a mercenary who was about to go to Ukraine. Nevertheless, the official charge is only for taking part in protests. Ales has already been sentenced to 2 years’ imprisonment for taking part in protests.
85. Irina and Victor Orekhov. The couple were detained for taking part in protests and sentenced to 2 years of “home chemistry”.
86. Mikhail and Alexandra Razuvanov. The brother and sister were detained for taking part in protests. Mikhail is in a SIZO; his sister’s status is unknown.
87. Tatsiana and Yana Borisovich. The Borisovich family has three daughters. Two of them were arrested; the mother and the eldest daughter left to avoid imprisonment. The young women spent about three months in a SIZO for taking part in protests and were sentenced to 3 and 2.5 years of restricted freedom in an open-type correctional facility. They did not wait to serve their sentences and left Belarus. The whole family is now in forced emigration.
88. Kristina and Mikhail Vasilkov. The couple were detained on the same day and placed in a SIZO, where they spent about two months. Mikhail was sentenced to 2 years of “home chemistry”, Kristina to 3 years of restricted freedom in an open-type correctional facility. The family has left Belarus.
89. Halina Semechka and Anton Aleksandrovich. Halina was detained for taking part in protests and sent to a SIZO, where she spent more than 4 months. Halina and Anton were sentenced to 3 years of “home chemistry”. They left Belarus together.
90. Ilya and Irina Khvoynitsky. The mother and son were convicted for taking part in protests. Ilya was ordered to undergo compulsory treatment for alcoholism; the mother’s sentence is unknown.
91. Artsiom and Daniil Nikitsin. The brothers were convicted for damaging three «Tabakerka» kiosks in Minsk. Artsiom was sent to a penal colony for 2.5 years, and Daniil to an open-type correctional facility (IUOT) for 1.5 years.
92. Karina and Inha Reidolf. The sisters from Babruisk were arrested on the same day, convicted under an administrative article and then transferred to a SIZO. After three months in custody, they were sentenced to 2 years of “home chemistry” for taking part in protests.
93. Vasily and Alla Romanenko, Alexandra Antonenko. Alla, together with her husband and niece, was convicted for taking part in protests. The couple were sentenced to 3 years of “home chemistry”, Alexandra to 2 years of “home chemistry”.
94. Andrei and Vera Mamoika. Andrei is an elder of the “New Earth” Baptist church. Andrei and Vera Mamoika are also well-known musicians who have taken part in recording several albums of Christian music. The couple are in a SIZO for taking part in protests.
95. Anna Kovaleva and Ivan Morozov. Ivan was one of the best-known Belarusian-language bloggers of the «noughties» and a former activist. He was detained under an administrative article and then transferred to a SIZO; his girlfriend Anna was also detained. The young couple are accused of taking part in protests.
96. Oksana and Maxim Dolgy. The couple were convicted for taking part in protests. Their status and sentence are unknown.
97. Evgeniy, Yuliya and Anna Livyant, Nikita Drozd. Evgeniy, a tutor and co-founder of the “100 Points” tutoring centre, was detained together with his wife, his daughter and her husband for taking part in protests. All of them are now in a SIZO.
Read the first part here.
If you know anything about political persecution, you can pass this information on to human rights defenders through any of the channels listed (including sending information anonymously via the website). Documenting repression matters so that we can provide help, spread information and submit it to international bodies, so that no case goes unpunished in the future. In addition, the lists of political prisoners and the repressed will be used to rehabilitate those persecuted.