Paul Ivanovich Kazakov
Responsible for all illegal actions against prisoners in Grodno Prison No. 1. Such actions include psychological and, in some cases, physical violence, illegal sending to solitary confinement, restrictions on correspondence and receiving parcels from persons in the institution.
On July 11, 2023, political prisoner Ales Pushkin died in a hospital in Grodno. He was taken there from the territory of Prison No. 1 in Grodno. As the head of this prison, he is responsible for the conditions of detention and the untimely provision of medical care to prisoners, which led to a tragic outcome.
In particular, his actions clearly show disregard for the rights of prisoners, including for political reasons.
Responsible for all illegal actions against prisoners in Grodno Prison No. 1. Such actions include psychological and, in some cases, physical violence, illegal sending to solitary confinement, restrictions on correspondence and receiving parcels from persons in the institution.
On July 11, 2023, political prisoner Ales Pushkin died in a hospital in Grodno. He was taken there from the territory of Prison No. 1 in Grodno. As the head of this prison, he is responsible for the conditions of detention and the untimely provision of medical care to prisoners, which led to a tragic outcome.
In particular, his actions clearly show disregard for the rights of prisoners, including for political reasons.
List of repressed
- Associations
- Entrepreneurs
- Parents of minors
Vasily was detained and convicted under the article on "hooliganism" for allegedly using violence against aggressive supporters of Lukashenko and activists of the "Anti-Vandal" movement - Alexander Galakhov and Olga Bondareva, when they painted over the image of the white-red-white flag. Vasily did not admit guilt and refused to give the last word.
In April 2022, the court considered the appeal, as well as the prosecutor's appeal against the verdict in this case. The court did not satisfy Vasily's appeal, but partially satisfied the prosecutor's protest, replacing the punishment from imprisonment without referral to imprisonment with referral to an open-type correctional facility.
In July of the same year, the court granted Olga Bondareva’s civil claim and ordered Vasily to pay her compensation.
He was released in January 2022, having fully served his sentence as determined by the court.
- Associations
Alexander, a neurologist, worked in Norilsk, Russia. He was detained in May 2021 upon his return to Belarus in connection with a criminal case opened for insulting law enforcement officials.
In January 2022, he was convicted under three criminal articles for comments addressed to 32 officials. As Alexander himself explained, he left them emotionally, since during the August 2020 protests he volunteered near the detention center on Okrestina. In addition to imprisonment, the court ordered him to pay moral compensation in favor of 20 employees. At the hearing, it also became known that one of the victims in the case beat Alexander during his arrest.
In November 2022, he was convicted again under the articles “insulting a government official” and “threatening violence against an official.”
On April 3, 2024, his punishment was increased and he was transferred to prison.
He was released in November 2024, having fully served his sentence as determined by the court.
Galina was detained and convicted for participating in a protest against violence in the country and the falsification of the presidential elections - the Unity March, which took place in Grodno on September 6, 2020.
According to human rights activists, she was released in January 2024, having fully served her sentence imposed by the court.
Vyacheslav was detained at his home on March 10, 2021. After waiting for his parents to leave, the security forces broke down the door, conducted a search without their presence, put Vyacheslav on the floor and beat him.
He was accused of participating in protests that took place in Minsk in August–September 2020 against election fraud and violence by security forces. Vyacheslav was convicted under the article on “group actions grossly violating public order” and sentenced to a restriction of freedom.
In June 2022, his punishment was toughened, and he was transferred to a penal colony before the end of his term.
He was released in March 2023, having fully served his sentence as determined by the court.
Anastasia was convicted of, according to investigators, obstructing police actions during the arrest of a man in Lida on September 27, 2020, using violence: she tore off the shoulder strap of one officer and hit him in the head, and tore off the shoulder strap of the second.
She was released in March 2022 as part of a pardon.
- Associations
- Parents of minors
Andrei was arrested and convicted in a criminal case following a protest that took place in Grodno on September 6, 2020, against violence and the results of the presidential election. He was accused of "intending to hurt 11 riot police officers out of revenge and threatening their personal safety."
He was released in December 2023, having fully served his sentence as determined by the court.
- Associations
- Politicians
Grigoriy, the BPF presidential candidate in the 2010 elections and the party's chairman, was arrested on April 12, 2021, in a criminal case opened under the article "conspiracy or other actions committed with the aim of seizing state power." In September 2022, he was sentenced to a long prison term, despite his health deteriorating in prison and the discovery of cancer.
In the summer of 2023, he was deprived of visits and had his personal records confiscated, including a draft of a book and correspondence addresses. In November of that year, he was transferred to a PKT for 6 months.
In January 2024, Grigory's punishment was toughened and he was transferred to prison regime. In April of the same year, he underwent surgery and was immediately returned to his cell.
Released in July 2024 as part of a pardon.
Konstantin was convicted under the article on “inciting hatred or discord” for a comment left on the Internet.
He was released in June 2023, having fully served his sentence as determined by the court.
Ivan was convicted for a comment about police officers that he posted in September 2020 in the “People’s Patrol” group on the VKontakte social network.
In May 2022, his punishment was increased and he was transferred to a penal colony for "disturbing the order in a correctional facility." It is known that the reason for this was four reports drawn up for him "lying down on the bed."
He was released in December 2022, having fully served his sentence as determined by the court.
- Associations
- Parents of minors
Andrei was detained for participating in a protest that took place on September 23, 2020 against Lukashenko's inauguration in Minsk. He was convicted of blocking the roadway near the Pushkinskaya metro station, as well as allegedly damaging two patrol cars and attacking two traffic police officers. Andrei did not admit his guilt.
At the end of December it became known that Andrei's punishment had been toughened and he had been transferred to prison regime.
He was released in August 2024, having fully served his sentence as determined by the court.
- Associations
- Parents of minors
Vadim was detained and convicted under the article "hooliganism" after an incident in a park where he was hanging white ribbons. Olga Bondareva, a representative of the "Antivandal-Grodno" movement, began filming him on her phone and stalking him, which provoked a conflict.
He was released on January 17, 2022, having fully served his sentence as determined by the court.
Ten days after her release, Olga Bondareva went to court to recover compensation for moral damages from Vadim.
- Associations
- Activists
- Parents of minors
Alexander, an activist and well-known Belarusian artist, was arrested in late March 2021 on charges of “rehabilitating Nazism” after he displayed a portrait of Yevgeny Zhikhar with a machine gun over his shoulder at an exhibition at the Grodno City Life Center. The prosecutor’s office claimed that Alexander “characterized Zhikhar as a fighter against the Bolsheviks, glorifying his actions.” Despite the threat of prosecution, Alexander did not cancel his return to Belarus from Ukraine, where his exhibition was taking place.
On March 25, 2022, during the trial, he cut his stomach in protest, for which he received 13 days in solitary confinement. He was later convicted of "inciting hatred or discord" and "desecration of state symbols." The political prisoner refused to file an appeal.
As it became known, in November 2022, Alexander's type of punishment was toughened and he was transferred to prison regime.
On July 11, 2023, Alexander died in intensive care due to untimely medical care for a perforated ulcer.
- Associations
- Parents of minors
Anna was detained and convicted for participating in a protest against violence in the country and the falsification of the presidential elections - the Unity March, which took place in Grodno on September 6, 2020.
Vladimir was convicted for comments left on a Telegram channel about Lukashenko and former Minister of Internal Affairs Yuri Karayev.
He was released in March 2022, having fully served his sentence as determined by the court.
- Associations
- Activists
- Twice political prisoners
The first time, Yuri was convicted for, according to the charges, in September 2020, while walking with friends near the Molodezhnaya Hotel, during a conversation he tugged at the national flag, which eventually fell.
In November 2021, his sentence was changed and he was sent to a penal colony.
In January 2022, he was released, having fully served his sentence.
On February 15, 2022, Yuri was detained again in a criminal case opened under the article "assistance to extremist activity." He received administrative arrest, during which KGB officers visited him. As a result of the beatings, he was suspected of having broken ribs. The criminal case was not closed.
In May 2022, he was detained again in Russia due to a wanted list, and in October of the same year he was extradited to Belarus, although the extradition case was formally closed on September 26, 2022.
In January 2023, Yuri was convicted again for helping other political prisoners receive aid from foundations. At the trial, he pleaded not guilty and refused to testify.
In May 2024, his sentence was increased and he was transferred to prison until the end of his term.
