Political persecutions

Vadim, an architect, was detained and beaten during a memorial event for Roman Bondarenko on Change Square on November 15, 2020, and hospitalized with injuries. He pleaded not guilty, saying that participating in the event was his civic duty, and was convicted of “participating in group actions that grossly violate public order.”

Left Belarus before starting to serve his sentence.

On March 15, 2024, a “special case” was opened against Vadim, and in the summer he was charged in absentia with “conspiracy to seize power,” “assisting extremist activity,” and “creating an extremist group.”

An activist of the European Belarus movement and a principled opponent of the current regime, Maksim has been repeatedly subjected to repression for his peaceful opposition activities: fines, arrests, attacks and intimidation. On January 22, 2021, he was detained and convicted of “preparing for mass riots.”

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 Maksim Viniarsky.

Kirill was detained on October 28, 2020, and subjected to brutal treatment, threats, and harassment by law enforcement officers. He was later convicted of several criminal offenses, including illegal possession of ammunition, which was allegedly planted in his car after his arrest.

On March 19, 2026, he was released after another visit to Minsk by US President Donald Trump's special representative, John Cole, and taken to Lithuania.

Victoria, the administrator of the "Drivers 97%" channel, was detained on November 4, 2020, in Minsk by GUBOPiK officers and convicted of "calling for mass riots and roadblocks due to dissatisfaction with the government and election fraud."

In 2022 and 2023, the court twice increased her sentence, accusing her of "malicious disobedience to the demands of the correctional facility administration." Victoria had repeatedly been subjected to pressure in the penal colony and was deemed a "malicious violator."

In October 2024, in the Rechitsa District Court, Victoria was convicted for the third time under the article "malicious disobedience to the lawful demands of the penal colony administration" and sentenced to another year of imprisonment.

In early 2025, Polina Sharendo-Panasyuk reported that Victoria and Elena Gnauk had been placed in a punishment cell: "After several weeks in solitary confinement, they were transferred to a punishment cell. There's a 99% chance they'll be charged again under Article 411."

Polina also added: "Viktoria Kulsha's kidneys have probably already failed. She went on hunger strikes for months, refusing water and drink. She slit her wrists. They threw her in solitary confinement for this—she slit her wrists in solitary confinement. She went on hunger strikes in the PKT. She refused medical attention."

Victoria was scheduled to be released in April 2025 upon completion of her sentence. However, at the beginning of the month, she was transferred to Gomel Pretrial Detention Center No. 3 as part of a fourth criminal case under the article "malicious disobedience of the legal demands of the prison administration." In June of that year, her sentence was extended by another year.

On December 13, 2025, she was released following a visit to Minsk by US President Donald Trump's special representative, John Cole, and taken to Ukraine.

On the night of August 10-11, 2020, Alexandra was detained in Minsk. She went out to help people who had suffered from the actions of security forces, but was faced with shelling and mass detentions. Alexandra spent three days in the Okrestina detention center, where she was tortured, including beatings and threats of sexual violence. She was then released, but on October 16, 2020, she was arrested again as part of a criminal case, accused of participating in "group actions that grossly violate public order."

An anesthesiologist working at the Emergency Hospital in Minsk was detained on November 19, 2020 and convicted for allegedly disclosing medical secrets regarding the condition of Raman Bondarenko, who was brutally beaten by security forces in the courtyard of his home and died in hospital from cerebral edema.

Kim, a member of the Dzeya public movement's council, was arrested on November 3, 2020, in a criminal case opened under several articles, including "organizing and preparing actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them." In January 2022, he was convicted of hacking the Minsk City Executive Committee's computer system.

On March 19, 2026, he was released after another visit to Minsk by US President Donald Trump's special representative, John Cole, and taken to Lithuania.

The leader of the public organization "Alternative" was detained on October 25, 2020 and convicted of "participation in group actions that grossly violate public order."

An activist with the Young Front and the ZUBR resistance movement. He was detained on August 10, 2020, and later charged with participating in the events of August 9 in Minsk. He left Belarus.

Akihiro, an anarchist activist, was detained in August 2020 in Minsk and charged with participating in “mass riots” and other “crimes.”

In 2022, he was sentenced to 16 years in prison. In February 2023, the Supreme Court reduced the sentence by three months.

In July 2024, it became known that his sentence had been tightened and he had been transferred to a prison regime.

On June 21, 2025, Akihiro was released after a visit to Minsk by US President Donald Trump's special representative, Keith Kellogg, and was immediately taken to Lithuania.

A manager at a furniture company and volunteer, she was arrested on September 25, 2020 and convicted of cleanup during protests.

Sergei, an activist of the Narodnaya Hramada party, was detained by police on June 25, 2020, using force. The basis for the detention was a previously issued administrative arrest for 15 days for laying flowers at the Military Cemetery in Minsk on May 8, as well as the events that took place on May 29, 2020 in Grodno. He was accused of preparing to participate in "mass riots" and obstructing the work of the Central Election Commission.

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 Sergei Sparysh

Pavel is a Belarusian opposition politician and co-founder of the Belarusian Christian Democracy party. He was detained in June 2020, after which he received several administrative arrests for participating in election pickets. He was later convicted of organizing mass riots.

In June 2023, he was transferred to prison regime.

On December 13, 2025, he was released following a visit to Minsk by US President Donald Trump's special representative, John Cole, and taken to Ukraine.

Marfa, the coordinator of the Viasna volunteer service, was arrested on September 17, 2020, on charges of financing mass riots (Article 293, Part 3). In February 2021, she was charged with additional charges, including "inciting social discord" and "participation in a criminal organization."

In September 2022, Marfa was convicted on several criminal charges and sentenced to 15 years in prison and a large fine.

In February 2023, during an appeal hearing, her sentence was reduced by three months. Marfa's health deteriorated in prison, in part due to COVID-19.

On March 19, 2026, she was released after another visit to Minsk by US President Donald Trump's special representative, John Cole, and taken to Lithuania.

Eduard is a well-known Belarusian political blogger and public figure, the author of the Telegram channel Palchys. He organized the "BNR-100" and "BNR-101" protests and concerts. He was arrested on September 27, 2020, as part of a criminal case related to mass riots.

In December 2021, Eduard was found guilty of "organizing mass riots," "organizing actions that grossly violate public order," "inciting social discord," and "calls for actions aimed at damaging the national security of the Republic of Belarus" and sentenced to imprisonment in a penal colony.

In August 2022, Eduard's sentence was increased and he was transferred to a prison regime.

On March 19, 2026, he was released after another visit to Minsk by US President Donald Trump's special representative, John Cole, and taken to Lithuania.