Leonid, the Chairman of the Gomel branch of the Human Rights Center "Viasna", is a human rights activist with 20 years of experience in restoring violated rights of citizens. He was actively involved in preparing and sending numerous individual appeals to the UN Human Rights Committee against Belarus. In 2020, Leonid provided legal assistance in appealing court decisions in cases of participants in rallies in Gomel that took place after the falsification of the presidential elections. In January 2021, he was detained and convicted for participating in protests.
He was released on July 21, 2023, having fully served his sentence as determined by the court.
In early March 2024, a criminal case was opened against Leonid in absentia for "assisting extremist activity." In June of the same year, a trial in absentia took place, where he was sentenced to imprisonment and a large fine.
Trial outcome 03.11.2021: 3 years of imprisonment in colony under general regime conditions.
Appeal 14.01.2022: the sentence was upheld.
Trial outcome 17.06.2024: 5 years of imprisonment in colony in strict regime conditions, 650 basic values fine (trial in absentia).
Appeal 17.09.2024: the sentence was upheld (trial in absentia).
Vladimir, a public activist, was arrested on December 23, 2020 and convicted of insulting Gomel prosecutor's assistant Alesya Zhuravskaya in the courtroom. He uttered the phrase: "Organized criminal group." Vladimir did not admit his guilt, explaining that this expression referred to the sentence handed down to Georgy Vasilenko for raising a white-red-white flag on the flagpole of a Gomel square.
On March 31, 2023, he was released after serving the full sentence imposed by the court.
Trial outcome 07.04.2021: 2 years 6 months of imprisonment in colony under general regime conditions, 1000 rubles of compensation.
Appeal 09.06.2021: the sentence was upheld.
Evgeniy was arrested and convicted for participating in protests that took place in Zhlobin from August 9 to 13, 2020, which was recorded by a store surveillance camera. He initially admitted his guilt, but later claimed that he did so under pressure. In court, Evgeniy denied his guilt.
In May 2022, he was transferred to prison regime.
According to human rights activists, Evgeny was released in the fall of 2023, having fully served his sentence imposed by the court.
Trial outcome 05.02.2021: 3 years 6 months of imprisonment in colony under general regime conditions, approximately 228 rubles of compensation.
Regime change trial date unknown: unknown years of prison regime.
Evgeniy was arrested on November 17, 2020, and convicted of twice planting white-red-white flags in deserted areas, leaving boxes nearby that could be perceived as explosive devices. However, as it turned out, the boxes contained several ball bearings, an empty firecracker, and a caricature of riot police.
According to human rights activists, he was released in early April 2024, having fully served his sentence as determined by the court.
Trial outcome 18.05.2021: 3 years 6 months of imprisonment in colony under general regime conditions.
Vladimir was detained on September 13, 2020, during a protest in Vitebsk and subsequently convicted. He was charged with "attempting to injure police officers, taking possession of their service badge, and then, while in a paddy wagon after their detention, spraying pepper spray in their direction." Vladimir did not plead guilty in court.
In December 2023, he was transferred to Pre-trial Detention Center No. 1 for a medical examination.
According to human rights activists, he was released in early May 2024, having fully served his sentence as determined by the court.
Trial outcome 01.03.2021: 3 years 6 months of imprisonment in colony under general regime conditions, approximately 3000 rubles of compensation.
Andrey, a military lawyer, was arrested on August 9, 2020, and convicted of participating in a protest in Polotsk after the elections. According to investigators, Andrey participated in an unauthorized protest on Freedom Square in Polotsk and used tear gas against uniformed police officers. When arrested, he allegedly resisted and continued to use the gas.
In October 2023, he was released after serving the full sentence imposed by the court.
Trial outcome date unknown: 3 years 6 months of imprisonment in colony under general regime conditions.
Anton was detained in December 2020 along with his mother as part of the criminal "Avtukhovich case." The authorities called Nikolai Avtukhovich "the organizer and leader of a terrorist group." He was charged with participating in a "terrorist organization" involved in arson of police officers' property, but these charges were later dropped and replaced with a new charge for participating in a protest. In September 2022, Anton was transferred to house arrest.
In October 2022, he was convicted of participating in a protest that took place in September 2020 in Brest and released in the courtroom, as the time served in custody was counted.
Trial outcome 17.10.2022: 2 years 6 months of imprisonment in colony under general regime conditions.
Appeal 31.03.2023: the sentence was upheld.
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.
Trial outcome 17.10.2022: 6 years 1 month of imprisonment in colony under general regime conditions, 300 basic values fine.
Appeal 31.03.2023: 6 years of imprisonment in colony under general regime conditions, 300 basic values fine.
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.
The coordinator of Viktor Babariko’s initiative group was detained on June 18, 2020, on charges of tax evasion.
On October 12, 2021, the preventive measure for Dmitry was changed to a written undertaking not to leave.
He was allegedly arrested on January 19, 2021 and later convicted for a comment on Telegram.
Trial outcome date unknown: 2 years restrictions of freedom without referral to an open-type correctional facility, 1000 rubles of compensation.
Alexey is an IT engineer with an excellent education and a gold medal for graduating from a physics and mathematics school. He has a disability due to joint damage caused by hemophilic polyarthropathy.
On December 3, 2020, he was arrested and convicted of “threatening to use violence and insulting a government official.”
On August 26, 2023, he was released after serving the full sentence imposed by the court.
| 18.05.2021 | patronymic Aleksandrovich |
Trial outcome 07.06.2021: 3 years of imprisonment in colony under general regime conditions, approximately 4500 rubles of compensation.
Oleg, a former ambulance paramedic and salesman at the 5th Element, was arrested on November 4, 2020 and convicted of “gross violation of public order” and “deliberate damage to the railway.” However, the real reason for his conviction was his participation in a meeting with Sergei Tikhanovsky in the spring of 2020.
On June 3, 2023, he was released after serving the full sentence imposed by the court.
| 25.09.2021 | Transferred to IK-17. Mogilev region, Shklov city, 1st Zavodskaya street, 8, index 213004. |
Trial outcome 09.06.2021: 3 years of imprisonment in colony under general regime conditions.
Viktor was arrested on November 11, 2020, for performances with stuffed animals depicting Interior Ministry employees and convicted of "publicly insulting a government official." His car was also confiscated.
He was released on August 22, 2021, having fully served his sentence as determined by the court.
Trial outcome 27.01.2021: 1 year of imprisonment in colony under general regime conditions.
Mikhail was detained on September 27, 2020, during a protest in Grodno and convicted of “violence against a police officer.”
He was released in November 2022 after serving his full sentence as determined by the court.
Trial outcome 30.03.2021: 2 years 6 months of imprisonment in colony under general regime conditions, approximately 1000 rubles of compensation.
Appeal 17.06.2021: the sentence was upheld.
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