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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).
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Natalia was detained in November 2020 and convicted in a criminal case brought for blocking railway tracks and hanging scarecrows in Brest.
She was released in July 2021, having fully served her sentence as determined by the court.
Olga was arrested in November 2020 and convicted in a criminal case brought for blocking railway tracks and hanging scarecrows in Brest.
She was released in July 2022, having fully served her sentence as determined by the court.
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Elena was detained in a criminal case initiated due to protests and clashes between Pinsk residents and security forces on the night of August 9-10, 2020. She was convicted of participating in "mass riots." The victims in the case were 109 police officers and officials, who, in addition to imprisonment, demanded about 530 thousand rubles in compensation from the accused.
It is known that Elena is subjected to physical and psychological violence, she has been deprived of all parcels and meetings with loved ones. She regularly receives disciplinary punishments and is in a depressed psychological state. She has also been deprived of parental rights.
On February 12, 2025, with the help of the US State Department, Elena Movshuk , journalist Andrei Kuznechik and a US citizen whose name has not yet been disclosed were released. They were pardoned by Lukashenko. The condition for Elena's release was leaving Belarus. On the eve of her release, she was transferred from Colony No. 24 to the KGB pretrial detention center, from where the next day she was taken with a mask over her eyes to the border with Lithuania.
Details of the release were revealed to CNN by Chris Smith, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs.
"It was a special operation: we crossed the Belarusian border, met with government officials in Minsk, who handed over three detainees to us. We picked them up and took them through Lithuania."
Smith said it was a "unilateral gesture" by Belarusian authorities seeking to improve relations with the United States.
"Lukashenko received nothing in return," he noted.
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Olga was arrested in November 2020 and convicted of making six life-size dolls “with cynical inscriptions and images of senior officials,” which were placed on overpasses near the villages of Vilczyce and Lubuż, and then photographed and distributed online.
She was released on February 4, 2024, having fully served her sentence.
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The activist, human rights defender and volunteer of the Gomel branch of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" was detained at the airport on January 21, 2021. She was later convicted of "organizing or actively participating in group actions that grossly violate public order."
On September 24, 2022, Tatyana was released on pardon, having spent 1 year and 8 months in prison.
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Galina was detained on December 10, 2020, as part of the criminal "Avtukhovich case", which the authorities declared "the organizer of a terrorist group". She was accused of participating in a "terrorist organization" involved in arson of police officers' property. During the investigation, Galina was constantly threatened and forced to incriminate herself. She wrote complaints to the prosecutor's office, but received no answers, and was also subjected to harsh conditions in a punishment cell, which led to her losing consciousness several times. She was convicted of "participation in a criminal organization", "act of terrorism" and "attempted seizure of power".
In the spring of 2024, Galina and two other defendants in the “case” were ordered to pay compensation for damage to the police officers’ property in the amount of more than 40 thousand rubles.
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 Galina Derbysh.
Irina was arrested on December 1, 2020, as part of the criminal "Avtukhovich case", which the authorities declared "the organizer of a terrorist group". She was accused of participating in a "terrorist organization" involved in arson of police officers' property. Irina was convicted of "illegal actions with firearms" and "concealing a serious crime". In March 2023, the Supreme Court considered an appeal of the case, overturning the charge under Article 405 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus and reducing her prison term by one month.
She was released on parole in September 2024.
A family friend of presidential candidate Viktor Babariko and the coordinator of his initiative group in one of the districts of Minsk was detained on June 11, 2020, on charges of tax evasion.
On October 12, 2021, Svetlana's preventive measure was changed to a written undertaking not to leave the country.
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Anna, a volunteer for the Telegram channel “Drivers 97%,” was detained on October 28, 2020 and convicted of “calls for mass riots and road blockades in connection with dissatisfaction with the government and election fraud.”
She was released on November 25, 2022, having fully served her sentence as determined by the court.
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Anastasia was detained on October 16, 2020, and convicted for participating in a protest that took place on August 10, 2020, in Minsk.
On June 16, 2022, she was released after having fully served the sentence imposed by the court.
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Victoria was detained on October 15, 2020 and convicted for participating in a protest that took place on August 10, 2020 in Minsk.
On December 16, 2022, she was released after serving her full sentence as determined by the court.
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Former television journalist of Belteleradiocompany and member of the Coordination Council, Ksenia was detained on December 22, 2020 in the Press Club case on charges of tax evasion.
Almost 110 thousand rubles were transferred to the Investigative Committee's account as security for possible compensation for damages that were allegedly caused by the defendants in the "case." The case was closed, but later a new criminal case was opened against Ksenia, and she was accused of "conspiracy or other actions committed with the aim of seizing state power."
Released on August 20, 2024, on the basis of a pardon.
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Alla, the program director of the Belarus Press Club, was detained on December 22, 2020, on charges of tax evasion.
Almost 110 thousand rubles were transferred to the Investigative Committee's account as security for compensation for possible damage allegedly caused by the defendants in the "case".
Released on August 19, 2021, on the basis of a pardon.
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Yulia is a journalist and founder of the Press Club. From 1995 to 2010, she was the editor-in-chief of Komsomolskaya Pravda and European Radio for Belarus. Since 2011, she has been heading the Belarus in Focus office in Warsaw.
On December 22, 2020, she was detained at the airport on charges of tax evasion.
Almost 110 thousand rubles were transferred to the Investigative Committee's account as security for compensation for possible damage allegedly caused by the defendants in the "case".
Released on August 19, 2021, on the basis of a pardon.