Yakov was detained in a criminal case opened after spontaneous protests against falsifications in the presidential elections that took place in Brest on August 10, 2020. He was convicted of participating in "mass riots."
Yakov graduated from the Brest Builders' Lyceum and was assigned to work, but was unable to start working due to his detention. In May 2022, the Brest Moscow Court ordered him to pay compensation for failure to work and a state fee.
On September 11, 2025, it became known that 52 prisoners of the Belarusian regime were forcibly transferred to the territory of Lithuania. Among them are citizens of European countries. Among those released is Yakov Shafarenko.
