Denis Aleksandrovich Kovalev

Igor was arrested in October 2021 in connection with a criminal case opened under several articles, including "violence or threat of violence against an official performing official duties or another person performing a public duty."

According to investigators, Igor sent emails to Lukashenko's official website containing threats of violence and posted insults against government officials, including law enforcement officers, and sent similar messages to employees of the Investigative Committee. He also participated in post-election protests in Minsk in 2020.

In June 2022, he was found guilty and sentenced to imprisonment in a penal colony. It is also known that the "victims" of the security forces have filed claims for compensation for moral damages.

Andrei, an activist from Vileika, was arrested on August 9, 2021, and sentenced to administrative arrest, which he served in detention centers in Vileika and Smolevichi. He received a total of 90 days of administrative arrest, which he served under harsh conditions. He was then transferred to the Okrestina temporary detention center and then to a pretrial detention center for the criminal case.

In February 2022, he was found guilty of "organizing and preparing actions that grossly violate public order, or actively participating in them" and sentenced to imprisonment in a penal colony.

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

In October 2023, he was arrested again for 15 days for congratulating Ukraine on Independence Day on TikTok. The Vileika District Court classified it as "unauthorized picketing."

On February 15, 2024, Andrei went silent. It was later revealed that he was being held in a local temporary detention facility, serving 15 days of administrative arrest. However, he was not released after serving his sentence, as he was detained in connection with a criminal case opened under the article "discrediting the Republic of Belarus."

In July 2024, he was convicted again and sentenced to imprisonment and ordered to pay a large fine.

Vitaly was found guilty in September 2021 of influencing a law enforcement officer to change the nature of his activities by threatening to destroy property for a comment he left in the "Borovki 97%" Telegram chat under a photo of Sergeant Major Sergei Balabanovich, and was sentenced to arrest.

In January 2024, pro-government Telegram channels reported Vitaly's re-arrest . In a "confessional video," he stood in front of the camera, handcuffed, and said that he "called for violence against riot police officers only out of emotion."

From August to October 2024, Vitaly faced several court hearings in a criminal case opened under charges of "defamation of Lukashenko," "participation in actions grossly violating public order," "organizing mass riots," "calls for sanctions," and "inciting hatred or enmity." The outcome is unknown.

Andrei, a former maintenance worker in the Ammonia-3 workshop at the Grodno Azot plant, was arrested in the fall of 2021 as part of a criminal case brought against plant employees who supported the strike and were part of the "Workers' Movement" initiative. On September 21, 2021, this initiative was designated an extremist organization, following which mass arrests of workers took place across the country.

In February 2023, Andrei was found guilty of slander, treason, and the creation of and participation in an extremist group and sentenced to imprisonment.

Sergei, a former operator in the Ammonia-3 workshop at the Grodno Azot plant, was arrested in the fall of 2021 as part of a criminal case brought against plant employees who supported the strike and were part of the "Rabochy Rukh" (Workers' Movement) initiative, which was designated an extremist organization on September 21, 2021, following which mass arrests of workers took place across the country.

In February 2023, Sergei was found guilty of slander, treason, and the creation of and participation in an extremist group and sentenced to imprisonment.

In the fall of 2024, another court hearing took place, following which Sergei was transferred to prison.

Alexander, a former legal adviser to Naftan OJSC, a subsidiary of the Polimir plant, was detained in September 2021 in Russia while attempting to travel to Warsaw. En route from Voronezh, FSB officers checked his documents, and, knowing he would be detained in Moscow, he jumped from a train, suffering a broken leg and a dislocated arm. He made it to the Ukrainian border. While attempting to cross legally, he was detained, handed over to KGB officers, and placed in pretrial detention as part of a criminal case against plant employees who supported the strike and were members of the Workers' Movement (Rabochy Rukh). This initiative was deemed extremist on September 21, 2021, and simultaneously, workers were arrested across the country.

In February 2023, he was found guilty of "illegal actions with firearms," "treason," and "creation of and participation in an extremist group," and sentenced to imprisonment and a large fine.

In April 2023, Alexander was among the top three finalists for the international human rights prize, the Global Advocacy Award.

In April 2024, another court hearing took place, following which Alexander was transferred to prison.

Anton, a volunteer for the Country for Life foundation and the Angel search squad, was detained on July 9, 2021, as part of a "KGB operation to purge radicals" and placed in pretrial detention on charges of financing the activities of an extremist group.

In October 2022, he was charged with "conspiracy to seize state power through unconstitutional means," and in November of that year, Anton was sentenced to imprisonment in a maximum-security penal colony.

Sergei, an assistant to the head of a Minsk organization, was arrested in September 2020 at his home for participating in a protest against presidential election fraud and violence against civilians that took place in Minsk on August 11, 2020. He was convicted of "participating in mass riots" and also on drug-related charges.

m

On September 7, 2020, he was detained at his residence. According to the medical examination report, at the time of his arrest, he was in a state caused by the use of psychotropic substances; mephedrone was detected in his system. During a search of his apartment, law enforcement officers found a powdered substance. Investigators later concluded that Sikorsky also sold the same substance to a 46-year-old resident of Mogilev.

During the closing arguments, the state prosecutor requested the court to award Sikorsky:

• Under Part 1 of Article 328 of the Criminal Code – 2 years of imprisonment;
• Under Part 3 of Article 328 of the Criminal Code – 7 years' imprisonment and a fine of 300 basic units. By combining the penalties under the two parts of Article 328, the total sentence is 7 years' imprisonment;
• Under Part 2 of Article 293 of the Criminal Code – 5 years of imprisonment.

The final sentence is 9 years of imprisonment in a high-security penal colony and a fine of 300 basic units.

An activist of the "Country for Life" and a member of Svetlana Tikhanovskaya's team, Alexander has been repeatedly detained under political administrative articles. He was detained along with another activist, Oleg Boroznaya, who were known to have been under surveillance since the fall of 2020. Alexander was subsequently convicted on fabricated drug-related criminal charges.

Alexey, an activist in the anarchist movement, was detained in March 2021 as part of a criminal case brought against anarchists from the Brest region. He was convicted under several criminal articles, such as “participation in group actions that grossly violate public order” and “creation of an extremist group and participation in it.”

It is known that the charges are based on the episode with the blocking of roads in Brest in 2018 during a protest against the construction of the battery plant, as well as participation in the "March of the Non-Parasites", which took place on March 5, 2017.

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.

Denis is a journalist and volunteer editor for the Belarusian version of InformNapalm, a freelance correspondent for Novaga Chas. His investigations touched on the influence of the "Russian world" on Belarus and Syria, construction in Kurapaty, and the transition of former Ukrainian Berkut officers to the Belarusian security forces.

In March 2021, he was detained by KGB officers on charges of "interfering with the activities of the police." Searches were conducted in his apartment, his mother's apartment, and his 95-year-old grandmother's apartment. In 2022, it became known that he was also accused of collaborating with Ukrainian intelligence.

In September 2022, Denis was convicted under articles on "treason" and "interference in the activities of an internal affairs officer", but the latter charge was later replaced with "illegal collection or dissemination of data about personal life".

In June 2023, he was transferred to a maximum security prison without notifying his family or lawyer.

In April 2024, the political prisoner was deprived of parcels, and sending vitamins now requires permission from the prison doctor.

Tikhon was arrested and convicted for, according to the Investigative Committee, deliberately running over servicemen of the Ministry of Internal Affairs' internal troops during a protest that took place on August 11, 2020, near the Pushkinskaya metro station in Minsk.

In March 2022, he was re-convicted of "malicious disobedience to the demands of the administration of a correctional facility" - a charge often applied to prisoners who refused to cooperate with prison authorities - and his regime was changed to a strict one.

In February 2026, it became known that a criminal case had been opened against Tikhon for the second time under Article 411 of the Criminal Code (malicious disobedience to the demands of the colony administration).

Tikhon has serious health problems: his body has difficulty digesting food, he has eye pain, a rapid heartbeat, blood pressure surges, and a weakened immune system.

In mid-March 2026, Tikhon's trial took place in the Mozyr District Court. He was found guilty under Part 2 of Article 411 of the Criminal Code and sentenced to an additional eighteen months in prison, in addition to his 11 years and seven months in prison.

He is being held in pre-trial detention center No. 3.

Alexander was detained after a protest against the results of the presidential elections, which took place on August 11, 2020 in Brest. At this protest, Gennady Shutov was shot in the back of the head, which Alexander witnessed. He was later convicted of resisting and attempting to kill Captain Roman Gavrilov, who shot the protester, and Warrant Officer Arseniy Galitsyn, who acted as victims.

Oleg was arrested and convicted for "hitting" a police officer during a street march in Vitebsk on September 13, 2020. In September 2021, he was transferred to prison for "violating the rules of the order."

In August 2022, Oleg was re-convicted for “malicious disobedience to the demands of the administration of the correctional institution” and was given another year of imprisonment.

On July 25, 2023, the political prisoner was again convicted of “disobeying the demands of the administration” and sentenced to another year in prison.

In September 2024, another hearing was held on the criminal case against Oleg for “malicious disobedience to the demands of the administration of the correctional institution” - a charge that is often applied to prisoners who refuse to cooperate with the prison administration.

Throughout his imprisonment, Oleg is constantly under pressure. He is regularly sent to a punishment cell, where he is kept in isolation for dozens of days.