Pavel was arrested in October 2024 in connection with a criminal case opened under the article "creation of or participation in an extremist group." In August 2025, he was found guilty in the "yard chat case" and sentenced to imprisonment in a penal colony and a large fine.
He was released on March 20, 2026, as part of a pardon following another visit to Minsk by US President Donald Trump's special representative, John Cole.
