Alexander Aleksandrovich Semenchuk
Alexander Aleksandrovich Semenchuk is involved in politically motivated repressions in the Republic of Belarus. Semenchuk is responsible for the fact that, as a judge of the Leninsky District Court of the city of Brest, for a long period of time he passed politically motivated sentences against representatives of civil society. As a result of his decisions, Belarusians who opposed the current regime in the country were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment. In particular, in 2011 he tried participants in silent protests, and in 2017, participants in non-parasite protests. In 2018, he tried residents of Brest who opposed the construction of a battery plant. Among others, Semenchuk condemned the following citizens: Brest local historian, editor of the newspaper “Church” Igor Baranovsky, Belsat journalists Ales Levchuk and Milana Kharitonova, human rights activist Roman Kislyak, bloggers Sergei Petrukhin and Alexander Kabanov, teacher Lyudmila Karchevskaya, anarchist Alexander Kozlyanko, politician Nikolai Statkevich , journalist Maxim Khlebts and pensioner Elena Gnauk. Thus, Alexander Aleksandrovich Semenchuk is responsible for human rights violations and undermining the principles of the rule of law, as well as for promoting repression against representatives of civil society and the democratic opposition. His work within the judiciary is focused on maintaining the position of the existing government, rather than on enforcing the law. Semenchuk’s actions contribute to human rights violations, strengthening the power of Alexander Lukashenko and increasing politically motivated repression in the Republic of Belarus.
Alexander Aleksandrovich Semenchuk is involved in politically motivated repressions in the Republic of Belarus. Semenchuk is responsible for the fact that, as a judge of the Leninsky District Court of the city of Brest, for a long period of time he passed politically motivated sentences against representatives of civil society. As a result of his decisions, Belarusians who opposed the current regime in the country were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment. In particular, in 2011 he tried participants in silent protests, and in 2017, participants in non-parasite protests. In 2018, he tried residents of Brest who opposed the construction of a battery plant. Among others, Semenchuk condemned the following citizens: Brest local historian, editor of the newspaper “Church” Igor Baranovsky, Belsat journalists Ales Levchuk and Milana Kharitonova, human rights activist Roman Kislyak, bloggers Sergei Petrukhin and Alexander Kabanov, teacher Lyudmila Karchevskaya, anarchist Alexander Kozlyanko, politician Nikolai Statkevich , journalist Maxim Khlebts and pensioner Elena Gnauk. Thus, Alexander Aleksandrovich Semenchuk is responsible for human rights violations and undermining the principles of the rule of law, as well as for promoting repression against representatives of civil society and the democratic opposition. His work within the judiciary is focused on maintaining the position of the existing government, rather than on enforcing the law. Semenchuk’s actions contribute to human rights violations, strengthening the power of Alexander Lukashenko and increasing politically motivated repression in the Republic of Belarus.
List of repressed
According to the court, the essence of the charge against everyone was that on August 10, 2020, people in Brest "shouted slogans, whistled, clapped their hands, demonstrated white-red-white banners, and went out onto the roadway." In doing so, they allegedly grossly violated public order.
- Associations
On February 2, 2024, a telegram channel close to the Brest GUBOPiK published a repentant video with Timur Lozko.
In the video, security forces showed how men with shields and weapons, in full uniform, burst into the house. This is followed by footage where Timur Aleksandrovich, with his hands behind his back, says that he was found with subscriptions to Nekhta, and that he also donated to this telegram channel. The man also says that he works at Lode as an anesthesiologist and resuscitator.
On the Internet you can find that Lozko was detained back in October 2020 (and in solidarity with him, other doctors in Brest went out to protest with the inscriptions “I/we are Timur”). And during the referendum in February 2022, he was detained again, and under Article 24.23 of the Code of Administrative Offences, “Illegal picketing,” he first served in a temporary detention facility, and then received a fine of 50 b.v.
- Associations
- Foreign citizens
Stanislav, a Ukrainian citizen, was arrested in May 2021 in a criminal case opened after spontaneous protests against election fraud that took place in Brest on August 10, 2020. He was convicted of participating in “mass riots.”
Dmitry was a witness in the case of Brest political prisoners, bloggers Sergei Petrukhin and Alexander Kabanov, who were sentenced to three years in a general regime penal colony in April of this year. As the activist told Brest human rights defenders, a criminal case was opened against him for refusing to answer questions from the judge who was considering the case of Petrukhin and Kabanov, since he did not show the judge's service ID.
Released on 26.02.2022.
On December 11, 16 and 17, 2024, new hearings of Dmitry's case took place in the Leninsky District Court of Brest under Part 1 of Article 342 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus. Dmitry was sentenced to 2 years of imprisonment.
Ruslan was first detained on August 10, 2020, during a protest in Brest against falsifications in the presidential elections. After a brutal beating, he was hospitalized and then sentenced to 7 days of administrative arrest. A criminal case was later opened against him, but he left the country during the investigation.
Upon returning to Belarus, Ruslan attempted to cross the border into the European Union, but was detained. In November 2021, he was convicted of participating in “mass riots.”
In July 2024, he was convicted again, this time for “malicious disobedience to the demands of the administration of a correctional institution.” This article is used to try prisoners who refuse to cooperate with the administration, based on fictitious violations.
- Associations
- Activists
- Retirees
Since 2020, Elena has been subjected to systematic persecution for political reasons: she has been detained and arrested under administrative articles 17 times, and has been fined a total of 173 basic units. Her home has been searched several times.
In May 2021, Elena was convicted of "participating in group actions that grossly violate public order" in a criminal case opened after a protest on September 13, 2020 in Brest, where participants sang songs and danced in circles, and a water cannon was used against them. According to the prosecution, the protest disrupted the operation of transport. She was sentenced to restriction of freedom without being sent to an institution.
In September of the same year, Elena was convicted again for “insulting Lukashenko.” The combined sentences amounted to three years of “house arrest.”
In January 2022, she was arrested for "violating the serving of a sentence" and sentenced to 15 days of administrative arrest. However, she was never released - she was transferred to a pretrial detention center as part of a new criminal case initiated for slandering Lukashenko and discrediting the Republic of Belarus. In June, she was sentenced to imprisonment and a large fine.
In April 2023, Elena was convicted again under the article "malicious disobedience to the demands of the colony administration." This article is often applied to prisoners who refuse to cooperate with the administration, for fictitious violations.
It is known that physical and psychological pressure is constantly applied to Elena. She is regularly placed in solitary confinement and PKT, deprived of almost all parcels, calls, visits, and her merchandise allowance was reduced from three basic units to one.
In February 2025, Polina Sharendo-Panasyuk reported that Elena had been placed in the PKT again: “After several weeks in the punishment cell, she was transferred to the PKT. It is 99% likely that Article 411 will be fabricated against her again.”
- 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.
It is known that Sergei Gorun was detained at the end of October last year. In the "repentant video," the man said that he participated in the 2020 protests, threw paving stones towards the security forces and blocked the road with a bench.
He was convicted along with his twin brother for participating in protests in Brest.
He was convicted along with his twin brother for participating in protests in Brest.
