All persecuted

Konstantin was arrested and convicted for a comment left on the social network VKontakte under a photograph of an Interior Ministry employee.

In June 2022, he was released, having fully served his sentence imposed by the court.

Sofia, a student at the European Humanities University and a citizen of the Russian Federation, was detained in May 2021 after the forced landing of a Ryanair flight in Minsk by Belarusian authorities. The plane was en route from Athens to Vilnius. Sofia was accused of administering the Telegram channel "Black Book of Belarus", which published personal data and information about the private lives of civil servants.

At the end of December 2021, she was finally charged under seven articles of the Criminal Code, after which the case was referred to court.

The case was heard behind closed doors. In May 2022, Sofia was found guilty of two criminal charges. Following the trial, she was sentenced to imprisonment and ordered to pay compensation to the victims and court fees totaling about $70,000. The entire amount was subsequently paid by her family.

Sofia was released in June 2023 as part of a pardon.

Petr, an entrepreneur and TV repairman, was first arrested in April 2021 in a criminal case brought under the article on slander. The reason was a repost he made on August 23, 2020 on his page on the social network VKontakte - the publication contained an image and a comment from another author regarding an employee of the Baranovichi District Department of Internal Affairs. Petr was subsequently convicted and sentenced to restriction of freedom in an open-type correctional facility, as well as to pay a fine.

In January 2023, he was released on the basis of the amnesty law of December 7, 2021. Later that year, he was again brought to administrative responsibility under Part 2 of Article 19.11 of the Code of Administrative Offenses - for "dissemination, production, storage or transportation of information products containing calls for extremist activity or promoting such activity."

At the end of April 2024, it became known that Pyotr had been arrested again - on suspicion of participating in mass protests that took place in August 2020. A few months later, he was convicted of "participating in group actions that grossly violate public order" and sentenced to imprisonment by a court decision.

Alexander, TUT.BY's Deputy Director for Technical Issues, was detained on May 18, 2021, as part of a criminal case brought against TUT.BY on charges of large-scale tax evasion.

In March 2022, he was released from pretrial detention on bail. The charges against him were not dropped.

In April 2023, it became known that the criminal prosecution against Alexander and eight other defendants in the “TUT.BY case” was terminated based on the positive consideration of the petitions for release from criminal liability previously submitted by them.

Angela, chief accountant of TUT.BY, was detained on May 18, 2021, as part of a criminal case against TUT.BY, initiated on charges of tax evasion on an especially large scale.

In March 2022, she was released from pretrial detention on her own recognizance. The charges against her were not dropped.

In April 2023, it became known that the criminal prosecution against Angela and eight other defendants in the “TUT.BY case” was terminated based on the positive consideration of the petitions for release from criminal liability previously filed by them.

Sergey, CEO of Hoster.by, was arrested on May 18, 2021, as part of a criminal case brought against TUT.BY on charges of tax evasion on an especially large scale.

In September 2021, he was released from pretrial detention on bail. The charges against him were not dropped.

In April 2023, it became known that the criminal prosecution against Sergei and eight other defendants in the “TUT.BY case” was terminated based on the positive consideration of the petitions for release from criminal liability previously filed by them.

Yulia, a Belarusian writer, cultural scientist, professor and widow of TUT.BY founder Yuri Zisser, was detained on May 18, 2021, as part of a criminal case against TUT.BY, initiated on charges of tax evasion on an especially large scale.

Her house was searched, during which her heart began to fail - she had a hypertensive crisis. Yulia was taken to the hospital under escort. After being discharged that same day, her whereabouts remained unknown for more than a day. It later became known that Yulia had been placed under house arrest.

In January 2022, the preventive measure was changed from house arrest to a written undertaking not to leave the country. The charges were not dropped.

In April 2023, it became known that the criminal prosecution against Yulia and eight other defendants in the “TUT.BY case” was terminated based on the positive consideration of the petitions for release from criminal liability previously submitted by them.

Irina, a former lawyer for TUT.BY, was detained on May 18, 2021, as part of a criminal case against TUT.BY, initiated on charges of tax evasion on an especially large scale.

In April 2022, it became known that the preventive measure was changed from house arrest to a written undertaking not to leave. The charges were not dropped.

In April 2023, it became known that the criminal prosecution against Irina and eight other defendants in the “TUT.BY case” was terminated based on the positive consideration of the petitions for release from criminal liability previously filed by them.

Vladimir was convicted for calling the police and expressing his opinion about Lukashenko. He was taken into custody on April 3, 2021, after which he was sent to an open-type correctional facility.

In April 2022, the conditions of his sentence were tightened and he was transferred to prison for the remainder of his term.

He was released in June 2022, having fully served his sentence as determined by the court.

Igor was convicted for a comment left on a Telegram channel regarding the situation with a policeman beating a pregnant woman.

He was released in September 2021 as part of a pardon.

Alexander is an activist and former coordinator of the organizing committee for the creation of the Belarusian Christian Democracy party. In 2019, he was detained on the eve of the parliamentary elections and convicted of renting an apartment for a Russian citizen at the request of his girlfriend, who later illegally crossed the border into Poland. Alexander believes the case was fabricated, as he did not know about his intentions. He spent just over a year in prison and was released under an amnesty in late August 2020.

However, already in March 2021, Alexander was detained again and convicted for "participation in group actions that grossly violate public order" as part of a criminal case opened after a protest on September 13, 2020 in Brest. During the protest, people sang and danced in circles, and a water cannon was used against them.

He was released in March 2022, having fully served his sentence as determined by the court.

Igor was arrested in March 2021 and convicted of "participation in group actions that grossly violate public order" in a criminal case opened after a protest that took place in Brest on September 13, 2020. During the protest, people sang and danced in circles, and a water cannon was used against them.

Igor was convicted for the second time in August 2021 under the article on “hooliganism” for damaging two Beltelecom cameras and writing “cynical inscriptions”.

He was released in 2024, having fully served his sentence as determined by the court.