The social activist was detained on January 3, 2021, at her home after security forces broke down the door, conducted a search, and seized some of her belongings. Polina was convicted of "threatening to use violence against an internal affairs officer" and "insulting a government official." She refused to testify either during the investigation or in court.
In April 2022, Polina's sentence was extended on charges of "disobeying the demands of the prison administration," and in October 2023, she was convicted again under the same article. Polina is the first female political prisoner in Belarus to be convicted under this article. The article is used against prisoners who refuse to cooperate with the administration, often for alleged violations.
The political prisoner is systematically subjected to psychological pressure and physical violence; she has been repeatedly placed in solitary confinement, punishment cells and punishment cells.
The BNR Rada awarded Polina Sharendo-Panasyuk the Order of the Pursuit.
In March 2024, a propaganda story about Polina accidentally showed a yellow tag indicating the end date of her imprisonment: May 21. However, she was not released on that day, and she was charged for the third time with “disobeying the prison administration,” for which she was convicted again in October 2024.
She was released on February 1, 2025, having fully served her sentence (4 consecutive terms).
