Yuri is a businessman and one of the coordinators of Viktor Babariko's campaign headquarters. He was arrested on August 12, 2020, on criminal charges of "mass riots" and "blocking transport communications." A report on the Belarus 1 television channel portrayed him as the organizer of protests in the Uruchye neighborhood of Minsk.
While behind bars, he was the only prisoner to give interviews to state media criticizing Lukashenko's opponents. On October 10, 2020, Yuri attended a meeting of political prisoners with Lukashenko at the KGB pretrial detention center, and on October 11, he was released on bail and under a written undertaking not to leave the country and to behave properly.
After his release, Yuri began to publicly support the government, regularly appearing in state media and participating in pro-government initiatives.
