Valery was arrested in the fall of 2024 as part of a criminal case under the article "creation of an extremist group or participation in it" and in the summer of 2025 was sentenced to imprisonment and a large fine.
On October 9, 2024, he was detained by KGB officers in a rented apartment in Minsk. On October 11, he was charged with disturbing public order and sentenced to the first 15 days of administrative arrest.
On October 24, instead of being released, a second administrative protocol was filed against Valery. On October 25, he was sentenced again to 15 days of administrative arrest and returned to the temporary detention center.
On November 6, 2024, he was familiarized with the document initiating a criminal case under Article 342 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus. On November 7, he was transferred to a solitary confinement cell in the temporary detention facility.
On November 17, 2024, he was transferred to Pretrial Detention Center No. 1 in Minsk. During the investigation, the charge under Article 342 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus was dropped due to insufficient evidence, and he was replaced with a charge under Part 3 of Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus—participation in an extremist group or assistance to its activities. He was sentenced to two years' imprisonment and served his sentence in Correctional Colony No. 1.
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.
