Andrey Leonidovich Leshchenko
Judge of the Brest Regional Court. Acting Deputy Chairman of the Court.
Andrei Leonidovich Leshchenko is an employee of the judicial system of the Republic of Belarus, supporting the Lukashenko regime and politically motivated repressions in Belarus.
Involved in the issuance of politically motivated court decisions, according to which at least 3 days of administrative arrest were imposed.
In his work, he mainly considered complaints against politically motivated sentences of lower courts. These complaints were left unsatisfied.
On February 10, 2023, he sentenced Dmitry Stepanov, accusing him of creating an extremist group or participating in it under Part 1 of Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code, sentencing him with a punishment of four years of restriction of freedom in a general regime.
Judge of the Brest Regional Court. Acting Deputy Chairman of the Court.
Andrei Leonidovich Leshchenko is an employee of the judicial system of the Republic of Belarus, supporting the Lukashenko regime and politically motivated repressions in Belarus.
Involved in the issuance of politically motivated court decisions, according to which at least 3 days of administrative arrest were imposed.
In his work, he mainly considered complaints against politically motivated sentences of lower courts. These complaints were left unsatisfied.
On February 10, 2023, he sentenced Dmitry Stepanov, accusing him of creating an extremist group or participating in it under Part 1 of Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code, sentencing him with a punishment of four years of restriction of freedom in a general regime.
List of repressed
- Associations
- Foreign citizens
Dmitry, a Ukrainian citizen, was arrested and convicted of "undercover activity." His uncle, Mikhail Stolyarchuk, was also charged in the same criminal case. According to the prosecution, they had been collecting data on military equipment and facilities in Belarus since 2018 on behalf of the Security Service of Ukraine.
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
- Foreign citizens
Mikhail Stolyarchuk was convicted under Article 358-1 of the Criminal Code (intelligence activities). He is a Ukrainian citizen. His nephew, Dmitry Gudik, was also charged in the case. According to the prosecution, they had been collecting data on military equipment and facilities in Belarus on behalf of the Security Service of Ukraine since 2018. Igor Dirko was also detained with them, but instead of being prosecuted, he was deported from Belarus.
Worked as a bus driver on Belarus-Ukraine routes.
He was pardoned on November 22, 2025, along with 31 other Ukrainian citizens. According to Lukashenko's press service, this occurred as part of "agreements reached" with US President Donald Trump and "at the request of the Ukrainian side in order to create conditions for resolving the armed conflict in the neighboring state." The released citizens were immediately handed over to the Ukrainian side.
Dmitry Stepanov was placed in pretrial detention. He was initially tried under administrative "political" charges, but was later charged with allegedly "creating and leading an extremist group" (Part 1, Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus). The "extremist group" refers to the local Brest protest Telegram chat "GOBK."
Released on parole in December 2024
Grigory returned to Belarus in March 2022, where he was detained. The reason for the return was the mother's illness (cancer was found), and then the cancer was found in the father.
Grigory has not been in Belarus for a year and a half: since the end of November 2020. As he told the court, the reason for his departure was the inability to find a job in his specialty, as well as the need to deal with the documents of his grandmother (a citizen of Ukraine, but there is a Belarusian residence permit).
The man was convicted for participating in protest actions in Brest in 2020 (in the case of round dances).
- Associations
- Politicians
journalist, politician. Member of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, founder of the newspaper "Vitebsky Courier", founder of the organization "Our House".
- Associations
- Foreign citizens
Stanislav, a Ukrainian citizen, was arrested in May 2021 as part of a criminal case opened following the spontaneous protests that took place in Brest on August 10, 2020, against election fraud. He was convicted of participating in "mass riots."
According to calculations, he was supposed to be released in early 2026 .
- Associations
- Military
- Civil servants
- Parents of minors
A former officer who condemned violence by security forces after the 2020 elections.
Alexander was detained in Stolin on September 29, 2021 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 August 22, 2023, he was released upon expiration of his sentence.
- Associations
- Parents of minors
Stepan was arrested in connection with the protests in Pinsk on the night of August 9-10, 2020, and convicted of participating in "mass riots." He was accused of attempting to hit police officers, as well as hitting a shield that hit the leg of police officer Polivoda.
At the trial, Stepan explained that he tried to pass by, but was pushed by a shield, he fell, and cut his knee. According to him, the gesture that looked like a throw on the video was actually an attempt to fix his sleeve.
He was released in February 2024, having served his entire sentence as determined by the court.
Vadim was arrested on August 7, 2021, in connection with a criminal case opened under the article "inciting hatred or discord." In March 2022, he was convicted for messages left in the Telegram chat "Pinsk 97%," in which, according to the charges, he "called for violence against police officers, prosecutors, and judges."
He was released in April 2023, having fully served his sentence as imposed by the court.
Daniil was convicted under the article on "hooliganism" for damaging two Beltelecom cameras and making "cynical inscriptions" as part of a criminal case opened after a protest that took place on September 13, 2020 in Brest. During the protest, people sang and danced in circles, and a water cannon was used against them.
He was released in December 2023, having fully served his sentence as determined by the court.
| 28.12.2021 | 12/21/2021 was registered as an extremist |
Artem was convicted of "participation in group actions that grossly violate public order" in a criminal case opened after a protest that took place in Brest on September 13, 2020. During the protest, people sang and danced in circles, and a water cannon was used against them
He was released in December 2023, having fully served his sentence as determined by the court.
Tatyana was convicted of "participation in group actions that grossly violate public order" in a criminal case opened after a protest that took place in Brest on September 13, 2020. During the protest, people sang and danced in circles, and a water cannon was used against them.
- Associations
- Retirees
Viktor was convicted of "participating in group actions that grossly violate public order" in a criminal case opened after a protest that took place in Brest on September 13, 2020. During the protest, people sang and danced in circles, and a water cannon was used against them.
- Associations
- Twice political prisoners
Alexander was first arrested in March 2021 and 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. At that time, the participants were singing and dancing in a circle, and a water cannon was used against them. He served his full sentence and was released in July 2022.
However, in December 2023, it became known about his new arrest in connection with a criminal case opened after spontaneous protests that took place on August 10, 2020 in Brest against falsifications in the presidential elections. In April 2024, he was sentenced to imprisonment for participating in the protest.
He was released in September 2024 as part of a pardon.
Artem was convicted of "participation in group actions that grossly violate public order" in a criminal case opened after a protest on September 13, 2020 in Brest. During the protest, people sang and danced in circles, and a water cannon was used against them. Artem himself claims that he supports Lukashenko's policies, and he was detained because he jokingly went out into the street in a white-red-white flag while intoxicated.
According to human rights activists, he was released in June 2023, having fully served the sentence imposed by the court.
