Yevgeny, a former fan of FC Gomel, was arrested in July 2021 as part of a criminal case opened under the article "organizing and preparing actions that grossly violate public order, or actively participating in them." Following a search of his apartment, he was additionally charged with "illegal trafficking of potent or toxic substances."
In December of that year, he was found guilty of creating a chat room in which, it was alleged, he "called for participation in mass riots, resistance to law enforcement, the use of violence, and the destruction or damage of property in a manner dangerous to the public." After the first court hearing, the Telegram channel was declared an extremist group, and Yevgeny was sentenced to imprisonment in a penal colony.
In April 2022, Evgeny was re-tried in a closed trial under the article "creation of an extremist group or participation in one" and again sentenced to imprisonment.
According to human rights activists, he was released in February 2025, having fully served his sentence.
