Svetlana Alexandrovna Bondarenko
Involved in the issuance of politically motivated court decisions, at least 117 politically motivated decisions, for which at least 600 days of administrative arrest, at least 15,000 rubles in fines, and at least 101 years of imprisonment or restriction of freedom were imposed.
Judge in the “zero ppm case” against Ekaterina Borisevich and Artem Sorokin.
She sentenced four anti-fascists for participating in “mass riots”, sending them to a maximum security colony for terms of 5 to 6 years.
She also sentenced a man to three years in prison for defending himself from being beaten by Interior Ministry officers at a march of “non-parasites.”
She imposed 15 days of administrative arrest on saxophonist Pavel Arakelyan for participating in a yard concert.
She sentenced Alexandra Gerasimen and Alexander Opeikin in absentia to 12 years in prison.
Involved in the issuance of politically motivated court decisions, at least 117 politically motivated decisions, for which at least 600 days of administrative arrest, at least 15,000 rubles in fines, and at least 101 years of imprisonment or restriction of freedom were imposed.
Judge in the “zero ppm case” against Ekaterina Borisevich and Artem Sorokin.
She sentenced four anti-fascists for participating in “mass riots”, sending them to a maximum security colony for terms of 5 to 6 years.
She also sentenced a man to three years in prison for defending himself from being beaten by Interior Ministry officers at a march of “non-parasites.”
She imposed 15 days of administrative arrest on saxophonist Pavel Arakelyan for participating in a yard concert.
She sentenced Alexandra Gerasimen and Alexander Opeikin in absentia to 12 years in prison.
List of repressed
Natalia was convicted in August 2023 in a criminal case opened under the articles "organizing group actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them" and "assisting extremist activity," and sentenced to imprisonment in a penal colony.
On December 13, 2025, she was released following a visit to Minsk by US President Donald Trump's special representative, John Cole, and taken to Ukraine.
- Associations
- Activists
Alexander was arrested in September 2022 and convicted for participating in protests and blocking roads on August 9 and October 25, 2020 in Minsk.
Released on May 8, 2024, having fully served the sentence imposed by the court.
The verdict was delivered in absentia. The defendant himself was not present at the trial, as he has been abroad since the fall of 2020. This is the first verdict in Belarus in a criminal case, which was investigated within the framework of "special proceedings". Ex-chairman of BSSF Alexandra Herasimenia and executive director of the fund Alexander Opeikin were found guilty of calling for sanctions and other actions aimed at harming the national security of Belarus.
The verdict was delivered in absentia. The defendant herself was not present at the trial, as she has been abroad since the fall of 2020. This is the first verdict in Belarus in a criminal case, which was investigated within the framework of "special proceedings". Ex-chairman of BSSF Alexandra Herasimenia and executive director of the fund Alexander Opeikin were found guilty of calling for sanctions and other actions aimed at harming the national security of Belarus.
Andrei was arrested on February 18, 2022, in connection with a criminal case involving insulting a government official on the "Punishermen of Belarus" Telegram channel. He was charged with "insulting a government official." It was later revealed that he also faces charges of "insulting Lukashenko," "creating an extremist group," "inciting hatred or discord," and "insulting a judge or assessor." All charges related to comments made on various Telegram channels.
In December 2022, Andrei was found guilty and sentenced to imprisonment in a general regime penal colony, as well as a large fine and compensation for 31 "victims."
On December 13, 2025, he was released following a visit to Minsk by US President Donald Trump's special representative, John Cole, and taken to Ukraine.
- Associations
- Students
On September 29, 2021, he was detained in a criminal case initiated for comments on the Internet after the death of KGB officer Dmitry Fedosyuk and IT specialist Andrei Zeltser in a Minsk apartment.
On January 28, 2023, he was released after fully serving the sentence imposed by the court.
Later it became known that Vladimir was detained again in May 2023 and placed in a pre-trial detention center on a new criminal case under Art. 369 of the Criminal Code (Insulting a representative of authority) and Art. 368 of the Criminal Code (insulting Lukashenko). On December 22, 2023, he was sentenced to another 1 year in prison.
On February 16, 2024, the appeal was considered and the verdict entered into force.
- Associations
- Journalists
Oleg is a journalist for Radio Svaboda, previously worked for the Znamya Yunosti newspaper, and was one of the founders of the RID news agency. In the summer of 2020, he actively covered the protests in Belarus and conducted live streams. In August, he lost his Foreign Ministry accreditation along with other journalists from foreign media outlets.
On July 16, 2021, he was detained during a large-scale search of independent journalists' homes. He was released ten days later, remaining a suspect. On December 23 of that year, security forces again raided his home and took him into custody on charges of "organizing and preparing actions that grossly violate public order or actively participating in them."
In March 2022, the court found Oleg guilty, declaring that he participated in unauthorized protests during which Minsktrans calculated damages of 56,000 rubles.
In September 2022, the journalist was released as part of a pardon.
- Associations
- Twice political prisoners
- Human rights activists
Alexander is the chairman and founder of the Viasna Human Rights Center and former vice president of the International Federation for Human Rights. He is a laureate of the Andrei Sakharov Freedom Prize and other international human rights awards. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize five times and won it in 2022.
Alexander had previously been prosecuted. On August 4, 2011, he was arrested after Lithuania and Poland handed over his bank account information to Belarusian authorities. He was charged with concealing income on an especially large scale. On November 24, 2011, the court sentenced him to imprisonment in a maximum-security penal colony with confiscation of property. Alexander pleaded not guilty, claiming that the funds were used exclusively for human rights activities. EU countries, the United States, and international human rights organizations recognized him as a political prisoner, and his sentence was politically motivated. He was released in the summer of 2014 under an amnesty.
On July 14, 2021, Alexander was arrested again following a search of his apartment and office as part of a tax evasion case. In September 2022, that case was dropped, but he was charged with new charges of smuggling and financing group activities that grossly violate public order.
In March 2023, he was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment and ordered to pay substantial compensation. He pleaded not guilty in court.
In early November 2023, Alexander was placed in a PKT for trumped-up reasons. In April–May 2024, he was returned to his unit, but he continues to be under increased scrutiny. He works in woodworking, receives penalties, and is deprived of parcels, video calls, and correspondence. It is known that his previous stint in the Bobruisk penal colony has left him with health problems that persist.
On December 13, 2025, he was released after another visit to Minsk by US President Donald Trump's special representative, John Cole, and taken to Lithuania.
- Associations
- Activists
- Human rights activists
- Parents of minors
- Lawyers
Vladimir, a lawyer for the Viasna human rights center and coordinator of the Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections campaign, was detained along with his wife on July 14, 2021, following a search of their apartment. He was taken to the Financial Investigation Department and then to the Investigative Committee for questioning, after which he was remanded in custody for tax evasion.
In September 2022, the case under this article was dismissed, but new charges were brought against Vladimir: smuggling and financing group actions that grossly violate public order.
Vladimir is a finalist for the 2022 Belarusian Human Rights Community Award in the Human Rights Defender of the Year category.
In March 2023, he was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment and ordered to pay substantial compensation. He pleaded not guilty in court.
According to available information, the conditions of detention were tightened, and Vladimir was transferred to a prison regime.
On December 13, 2025, he was released after another visit to Minsk by US President Donald Trump's special representative, John Cole, and taken to Ukraine.
Ivan was convicted of insulting the former Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Alexander Barsukov. The basis for the charge was his comment under the video "There was no bullying" in the Telegram channel "Banda Luka".
Emil was detained in a criminal case opened after a protest that took place on September 23, 2020, in Minsk. He was convicted under three criminal articles, including "resisting a police officer." According to the charges, he called for participation in mass riots, which were allegedly planned in advance under the guise of mass events, blocked communications, and resisted by blocking the door, holding onto the steering wheel and refusing to get out of the car.
According to human rights activists, he was released in June 2025, having fully served his sentence.
