All persecuted

Andrey, the former director of the retail business department at Belgazprombank, was detained along with other bank employees in a criminal case opened under the articles "money laundering on an especially large scale" and "tax evasion on an especially large scale."

The arrests began after Viktor Babariko, the former head of Belgazprombank, announced his intention to run for president of Belarus in 2020.

Released from custody in the fall of 2021.

Vladimir, a close friend and associate of presidential candidate Viktor Babariko, was detained along with other Belgazprombank employees as part of a criminal case opened under the articles "money laundering on an especially large scale" and "tax evasion on an especially large scale."

The arrests began after Viktor Babariko, the former head of Belgazprombank, announced his intention to run for president of Belarus in 2020.

Released from custody in the fall of 2021.

Igor was detained while attempting to leave Belarus as part of a criminal case opened under the article "Desecration of state symbols." He was accused of placing a white-red-white flag on a flagpole at the Mound of Glory in July 2021, above the red-and-green one.

He was released in May 2023, having fully served his sentence.

Kirill was arrested in September 2021 in connection with a criminal case opened under the article "organizing and preparing actions that grossly violate public order, or actively participating in them." In November of that year, he was convicted of participating in a post-election protest that took place in Minsk in September 2020.

He was released in February 2024, having fully served his sentence.

Anastasia was arrested on July 15, 2021, and convicted nine times in a row under the administrative offense of "disseminating information products containing calls for extremist activity or promoting such activity" for forwarding messages from Telegram channels to each other with her husband.

The ninth court hearing took place on November 5, 2021, after which Anastasia was sentenced to another 15 days of detention. However, despite the detention orders, Anastasia and her husband, Sergei, were released from the temporary detention facility the evening after the trial without explanation.

In total, Anastasia received 126 days of arrest. She left Belarus shortly thereafter.

Sergei was arrested on July 15, 2021, and convicted nine times in a row under the administrative offense of "disseminating information products containing calls for extremist activity or promoting such activity" for forwarding messages from Telegram channels to each other with his wife.

The ninth court hearing took place on November 5, 2021, and Sergei was sentenced to another 15 days of detention. However, despite the detention orders, the evening after the court hearing, Sergei and his wife, Anastasia, were released from the temporary detention facility without explanation.

Sergei received a total of 127 days of arrest. He left Belarus shortly thereafter.

Vadim was found guilty in November of "insulting a government official" and "organizing and preparing actions that grossly violate public order, or actively participating in them" for inflammatory messages posted on the Telegram channels "Nikolai Maslovsky," "Army with the People," "Real Belarus," "Khabarovsk. For Furgal," and others. These messages included: "Block the streets...," "Block the roads with cars and our bodies...," "They should get the full punishment this evening," as well as for posts about workers' strikes.

In February 2024, Vadim was convicted again under the article “malicious disobedience to the demands of the colony administration.”

He was released in January 2025, having fully served his sentence.

Artyom was arrested in September 2021 in connection with a criminal case opened under the article "organizing and preparing actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them." In December of that year, he was convicted for participating in a post-election protest that took place in Minsk in September 2020.

He was released in July 2022, having fully served his sentence.

Yan was arrested on August 30, 2021, for "distributing extremist materials" and sentenced to 15 days of administrative arrest. He was not released after serving his sentence and was placed in pretrial detention as part of a criminal case opened under the articles "insulting Lukashenko" and "organizing and preparing actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation therein."

In December 2021, he was found guilty of insulting Lukashenko by posting a video on social media, as well as participating in post-election protests that took place in Minsk in 2020.

He was released in December 2022, having fully served his sentence.

Artyom was arrested in September 2021 as part of a criminal case opened under the articles "hooliganism committed by a group of persons" and "desecration of buildings."

In May 2022, he was found guilty and sentenced to prison for a performance at a city cemetery in Vitebsk: a group of young people installed a portrait of Lukashenko on a grave and opened champagne.

In July 2023, a trial was held to increase Artyom's sentence, resulting in his transfer to a prison regime.

In August 2025, Artyom was convicted of "malicious disobedience to the demands of the correctional facility administration" and sentenced to imprisonment. His total prison term was five years.

According to human rights activists, he was released in the spring of 2026, having fully served his sentence imposed by the court.

Yevgeny, a former fan of FC Gomel, was arrested in July 2021 as part of a criminal case opened under the article "organizing and preparing actions that grossly violate public order, or actively participating in them." Following a search of his apartment, he was additionally charged with "illegal trafficking of potent or toxic substances."

In December of that year, he was found guilty of creating a chat room in which, it was alleged, he "called for participation in mass riots, resistance to law enforcement, the use of violence, and the destruction or damage of property in a manner dangerous to the public." After the first court hearing, the Telegram channel was declared an extremist group, and Yevgeny was sentenced to imprisonment in a penal colony.

In April 2022, Evgeny was re-tried in a closed trial under the article "creation of an extremist group or participation in one" and again sentenced to imprisonment.

According to human rights activists, he was released in February 2025, having fully served his sentence.

Natalya was found guilty in October 2021 of "insulting a government official" for a comment left on social media under a man's photo, which stated that he was a district police officer at the Svetlogorsk District Police Department, was engaged in the political persecution of protesters, and was committing perjury in court. Natalya was sentenced to restricted freedom without a referral and ordered to pay compensation.

In November of the same year, following the prosecutor's protest, the sentence was changed to restriction of freedom with referral to an open-type correctional facility.

She was released in December 2023, having fully served her sentence.

Due to new politically motivated persecution, Natalia was forced to leave Belarus.

Sergei, a Belarusian Railway employee, was convicted in October 2021 of "desecration of buildings and property damage" for spray-painting the words "Long Live Belarus" on a bus stop in the village of Leteshin, Kletsk District. Despite having fully compensated for the damages before the trial and having received positive references from his employer, the court sentenced him to arrest.

According to human rights activists, he was released in the winter of 2022, having fully served his sentence.

Alexander was detained along with his brother in a criminal case opened under the article "organizing and preparing actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them." In November 2021, he was convicted of participating in a post-election protest that took place from August 9 to 10, 2020, in Minsk.

According to human rights activists, he was released in February 2024, having fully served his sentence.

Alexei was detained along with his brother in a criminal case opened under the article "organizing and preparing actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them." In November 2021, he was convicted of participating in a post-election protest that took place from August 9 to 10, 2020, in Minsk.

According to human rights activists, he was released in August 2024, having fully served his sentence.