All persecuted

Roman was arrested in March 2021 as part of a criminal case under the article "Accomplicity in intentional actions aimed at inciting other social hatred and discord based on another social affiliation, committed by a group of persons." He was convicted of leaking information to BYPOL.

"On March 18, 2021, Roman went to a police officer's home to check the address published online and report it to a destructive resource. He entered the building, rang the intercom, met the police officer's husband, and fled. At home, he sent a message to a Telegram channel confirming the address," the investigation documents state.

In the fall of 2023, the conditions of his detention were tightened, and Roman was transferred to a prison regime.

In September 2024, a court hearing was held on the charge of "malicious disobedience to the demands of the administration of a correctional facility," during which Roman could have received up to two years of imprisonment; the outcome of the hearing is unknown.

Dmitry was arrested in July 2021 in connection with a criminal case involving an attempted assassination of propagandist Grigory Azarenok under the article "Act of Terrorism." According to the prosecution, he committed "deliberate actions aimed at preparing an act of terrorism against Azarenok." Various options were considered, including forcibly coercing him into recording a video message.

Dmitry was the only defendant in the case who did not plead guilty. At his trial, he stated that he was drawn into the crime during an investigative experiment. He claimed that after his arrest, he was subjected to violence and torture, forced to sign a confession. During interrogation, he sustained serious injuries to his hands, which now prevents him from working full-time. At the first hearing, he also announced his desire to renounce his Belarusian citizenship, as he "has no connection to terrorism."

In December 2022, Dmitry was found guilty and sentenced to imprisonment in a maximum-security penal colony, as well as a large fine.

Alexey was detained on July 1, 2021, in Minsk by officers from the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption (GUBOPiK). The following day, the court sentenced him to 15 days of administrative arrest, but instead of release, he was transferred to a pretrial detention center. He became a defendant in a criminal case for group actions grossly violating public order.

The case was heard under four articles of the Criminal Code: "organizing mass riots," "creating an extremist group," "inciting social hatred," and "insulting a government official." The trial was held behind closed doors, and the details of the charges are unknown.

In April 2022, the court sentenced Alexey to 11 years in prison. After the trial, pro-government channels published a video claiming that Alexey was the administrator of the Telegram chat "Cascade." A video about him had previously been filmed on TUT.BY.

In July 2023, it became known that he was in pre-trial detention, and on August 11, 2023, he was again found guilty in a new case of “creating an extremist group,” adding another 6 months to his sentence.

Vadim served administrative arrests in August and October 2020. His latest arrest occurred on June 28, 2021, as part of a criminal case related to an incident at a Russian Navy communications facility near Vileika.

According to the prosecution's case presented in court, Vadim and Alexey Glotov, "dressed in camouflage and armed with firearms, entered the military facility and planted explosive devices with a blast radius of up to 11 meters." One of them failed to detonate and was defused. An expert examination revealed that the devices were initiated using a delayed-action mechanism.

The damage was estimated at over 26,000 rubles. It was also reported that Vadim "planned to travel to Ukraine for military training."

In December 2022, he was found guilty and sentenced to imprisonment in a maximum security penal colony and a large fine.

In 2025, a court hearing was held to discuss the issue of changing the prison regime, as a result of which Vadim was transferred to a prison regime.

Tatyana is a co-founder of the Sympa school for young public administration managers, an expert in the Bipart research project, and a Master of Political Science.

She was detained in Minsk on the night of June 28-29, 2021, at the airport while going through passport control to leave the country. It is known that Tatyana was going to fly on a night flight to Tbilisi. It later became known that she was detained in connection with an initiated criminal case. Tatyana was taken to the temporary detention facility on Okrestina, and a few days later transferred to a pretrial detention center.

On February 6, 2023, the court began considering her case on charges of "aiding actions aimed at seizing power," "calling for actions that harm national security," and "inciting social hatred." On March 17 of the same year, the court sentenced Tatyana in a closed session to 10 years of imprisonment in a general regime penal colony.

Yegor was arrested in February 2021 and later convicted of setting fire to a T-72 tank aboard a military train at the Stepyanka railway station. According to the case file, on the night of January 31, 2021, he threw a Molotov cocktail with the inscription "OGSB" at the tank. His actions were classified as an "act of terrorism." According to the prosecution, Yegor committed the arson based on his political views.

In early October 2023, it was announced that Yegor had been transferred to Pretrial Detention Center No. 1 in connection with a new criminal case opened under the article "organizing and preparing actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation therein." In this case, he was sentenced to an additional six months in prison.

Sergei, the former head of the department of the RUE "Minsk City Agency for State Registration and Land Cadastre", was arrested in June 2021 in a case of posting personal data of employees of the Smorgon District Department of Internal Affairs on a Telegram channel. According to the prosecution, from autumn 2020 to February 2021, he transferred personal data of more than ten employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and government officials to the administrators of Telegram channels.

In August 2022, Sergei was found guilty of several criminal charges, including “abuse of power or official authority,” and sentenced to imprisonment with deprivation of the right to hold positions related to the performance of organizational and administrative duties for a period of 5 years.

Lyudmila is the former CEO of TUT.BY. She worked at TUT.BY since 2008: first as a legal adviser, later as a director. In 2017, she headed Tut By Media.

In May 2021, she was arrested in connection with a criminal case opened on charges of tax evasion.

In October 2022, the KGB added Lyudmila to a list of those “involved in terrorist activities.” She was later also charged with “inciting hatred” and “calling for actions against national security.”

The trial was held behind closed doors and lasted more than two months - 37 sessions in total. In March 2023, Lyudmila was sentenced to a long prison term and a large fine.

Yevgeny, a former investigator for the Investigative Committee and the initiator of the bychange.me project, was first detained on the evening of November 24, 2020, in Minsk as part of a criminal case initiated under the article “organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them.” He was released 10 days later, but in April 2021, he was arrested again and later convicted under six criminal articles, including for “organizing mass riots” in 2020, “inciting other social hatred” in interviews and texts on social networks, as well as for “threatening violence” against the head of the temporary detention facility on Okrestina via tweet.

According to the Prosecutor General's Office, Evgeny was "an active participant in the Telegram chat "KHATA", whose activities are aimed at organizing crimes of an extremist nature." The trial was held behind closed doors, and Evgeny signed a non-disclosure agreement regarding the case materials.

Ruslan was arrested in January 2021 and convicted of making and distributing "hedgehogs" in front of a convoy of cars participating in a pro-government rally in the fall of 2020. He was also accused of attempting to damage railway tracks by connecting the rails with metal wire, which could have delayed the movement of trains.

Ruslan is into extreme sports and arboristry. He loves heights and gets a thrill from sitting on a roof or hugging treetops. In prison, he discovered his talent for drawing. In his personal life, he works with wood, grows potatoes, keeps pigs and loves horses.

Ruslan has a benign brain tumor, as well as severe back pain , due to which he sometimes could not get out of bed.

Viktor was arrested on January 4, 2020, as part of the "Avtukhovich case" and accused of participating in a "terrorist organization" involved in arson attacks on police property. He was convicted of "participating in a criminal organization," "attempted seizure of power," "illegal actions involving firearms," and "illegal movement of firearms across the customs border."

In 2024, Viktor was convicted again for "malicious disobedience to the demands of the prison administration." From February 2025, he was held in a cell-type facility (PKT), and in May of that year, a new sentence was announced under the same article, often used against prisoners for refusing to cooperate with the administration. As a result, his total prison term was 22 years and 6 months.

On July 3, 2025, Victor's appeal was considered .

In December 2025, Viktor was most likely convicted again under Article 411.

A well-known public figure, previously a member of the United Civil Party, was detained on January 4, 2021, as part of the "Autukhovich case" and accused of participating in a "terrorist organization" linked to arson of police property. Olga was convicted of "participation in a criminal organization," "attempted seizure of power," "inciting hatred," "calls for sanctions," and "illegal actions with weapons."

In custody, the political prisoner was suspected of having diabetes. In March 2024, she was convicted again for "malicious disobedience to the demands of the prison administration."

Vladimir was arrested on December 30, 2020, as part of the criminal "Avtukhovich case" on charges of "preparing a terrorist attack," but this charge was later dropped. In May 2021, he was convicted of "violence against an official." Investigators claimed that during his arrest, he threatened investigators and smashed his mobile phone.

The "Autukhovich case" began in May 2022. During the trial, Vladimir was removed from the sessions several times and sent to solitary confinement. At one of the June sessions, he was placed in a cage in his underwear, with his hands handcuffed to the bars. In response, Vladimir went on a hunger strike, which he held for 11 days. In this case, he was convicted of "creating a criminal organization" and "attempting to seize power."

In December 2022, Vladimir was charged with insulting prosecutor Lyudmila Gerasimenko, who represented the prosecution in the "Autukhovich case," and was given an additional term. He was ultimately sentenced to 20 years in a maximum-security penal colony.

Transferred to prison regime in October 2023.

Irina was detained in December 2020 along with her son as part of the criminal "Avtukhovich case." The authorities called Nikolai Avtukhovich "the organizer and leader of a terrorist group." She was accused of participating in a "terrorist organization" involved in arson of police property. Irina was convicted of "participation in a criminal organization," "act of terrorism," "attempted seizure of power," and for participating in a protest that took place in September 2020 in Brest.

Pavel, the son of an Orthodox priest and an employee of the Leninsky District Enforcement Department of Brest, was detained on December 1, 2020, along with his parents, as part of the criminal "Avtukhovich case." The authorities called Nikolai Avtukhovich "the organizer and leader of a terrorist group." Pavel was convicted of "participation in a criminal organization," "an act of terrorism," "an attempt to seize power," and "illegal actions in relation to firearms."

In October 2023, he was transferred to prison regime.