Stanislav Sergeevich Kovalev
An accomplice to crimes against the rights and freedoms of Belarusian citizens. Stanislav Sergeyevich Kovalev is a law enforcement officer involved in politically motivated repression.
Guilty of using violence and creating inappropriate conditions for political prisoners at Penal Colony No. 4 in Gomel. For a long time, he served as the colony's deputy warden for security and operational work. In August 2024, he became the warden of Penal Colony No. 4 and received the rank of colonel.
He exerted psychological pressure on women convicted for political reasons. He ordered the colony's operational staff to isolate, deny medical care, and cruelly treat political prisoners. He was involved in filing reports of violations on trumped-up grounds, with the aim of sending them to solitary confinement or depriving them of food parcels. He made monthly decisions on sending political prisoners to solitary confinement, including Veronika Kazak, Yulia Yurgelevich, Nastya Kukhta, Natalya Matveyeva, Nasta Loyko, Natalya Dulina, Maria Kolesnikova, Lyudmila Chekina, Olga Radionova, 70-year-old Irina Merkhel, and many others. He also ordered human rights activist Nasta Loyko to be sent to a punishment cell for the maximum sentence (after six months).
An accomplice to crimes against the rights and freedoms of Belarusian citizens. Stanislav Sergeyevich Kovalev is a law enforcement officer involved in politically motivated repression.
Guilty of using violence and creating inappropriate conditions for political prisoners at Penal Colony No. 4 in Gomel. For a long time, he served as the colony's deputy warden for security and operational work. In August 2024, he became the warden of Penal Colony No. 4 and received the rank of colonel.
He exerted psychological pressure on women convicted for political reasons. He ordered the colony's operational staff to isolate, deny medical care, and cruelly treat political prisoners. He was involved in filing reports of violations on trumped-up grounds, with the aim of sending them to solitary confinement or depriving them of food parcels. He made monthly decisions on sending political prisoners to solitary confinement, including Veronika Kazak, Yulia Yurgelevich, Nastya Kukhta, Natalya Matveyeva, Nasta Loyko, Natalya Dulina, Maria Kolesnikova, Lyudmila Chekina, Olga Radionova, 70-year-old Irina Merkhel, and many others. He also ordered human rights activist Nasta Loyko to be sent to a punishment cell for the maximum sentence (after six months).
List of repressed
- Associations
- Retirees
Lyudmila was arrested in October 2024 in connection with a criminal case opened under the article "creation of or participation in an extremist group." In August 2025, she was found guilty in the "yard chat case" and sentenced to imprisonment in a penal colony and a large fine.
She was released on March 20, 2026, as part of a pardon following another visit to Minsk by US President Donald Trump's special representative, John Cole.
- Associations
- Parents of minors
- IT staff
Elena was traveling with her son to visit her parents when she was arrested for assisting political prisoners.
In recent years, she and her family lived in Warsaw. There, in February 2021, Elena became a co-founder and lead business analyst at the startup GlobalTips, which helps government agencies transition to digital. Their service allows users to leave cashless tips to waiters using a QR code.
On March 19, 2026, he was pardoned after another visit to Minsk by US President Donald Trump's special representative, John Cole (among a group of 235 prisoners left in Belarus).
- Associations
- People with disabilities
- Retirees
Maret was detained in late October 2024 in Smorgon. A total of 12 people were caught in the Smorgon "purge," most of whom were released after 24 hours.
Has the 2nd non-working disability group.
On March 19, 2026, he was pardoned after another visit to Minsk by US President Donald Trump's special representative, John Cole (among a group of 235 prisoners left in Belarus).
Tatyana was convicted in November 2024 in a criminal case opened under the articles "assistance to extremist activity," "creation of an extremist group or participation therein," and "insulting a government official," 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.
Marina was allegedly detained in February 2024 during a raid on the Telegram chat "Common Sense on Alibegov," when it was designated an "extremist group." The KGB's decision listed 19 members of the chat, including Marina Myshko.
In April 2025 , she was released, having fully served her sentence.
Victoria is from Minsk and graduated from medical college. She first worked in state clinics, then at the Synevo Medical Center.
A person who knows Svetlana from college said that she wasn't interested in politics as a student and was never a public activist. However, the events of 2020 have changed the lives of tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of Belarusians beyond recognition. Veras is no exception.
According to calculations, she was supposed to be released in the winter of 2026.
- Associations
- Activists
- Parents of minors
She worked as an inspector at the Sfera plant, which is part of the BelOMO holding.
Margarita was a long-time member of the Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus. She was on Sergei Gaidukevich's initiative group during the 2010 presidential election, and in 2014, she ran for the party's seat on the Minsk City Council—and, naturally, lost. She hasn't appeared in public since.
She was allegedly detained for her comments. Judging by photos on social media, the woman has a child.
She is expected to be released in November 2025.
Since 2013, Kristina has worked at Ernst & Young and has risen to the position of Assurance Senior. She enjoys outdoor activities, such as hiking and sports, and has visited several different countries in recent years.
In December 2024, Kristina was convicted of participating in the 2020 post-election protests in Minsk. According to the "list of extremists," she was sentenced to imprisonment.
In September 2025, Kristina was retried on charges of "financing extremist activity," "calling for actions aimed at causing harm to Belarus," and "inciting hatred," and sentenced to imprisonment in a penal colony.
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
- Parents of minors
- IT staff
Anastasia worked as a programmer in the Minsk office of the American IT company Exadel. According to the charges, she may have posted comments on Telegram but was not active on other social media.
In the fall of 2024, Anastasia was convicted of "slander against Lukashenko," "calls for sanctions and other actions aimed at harming national security," and "inciting hostility or discord," 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.
Irina was arrested in 2024 and convicted of "inciting hatred and discord" and insulting Lukashenko. It is also known that in February of that year, she was arrested on administrative charges of distributing materials included on the national list of extremist materials, as well as their production, storage, or transportation with intent to distribute.
In September 2025, she was released, having served her entire sentence.
- Associations
Detained for reposting from social networks and participating in protests in 2020.
Alla was detained during a "solidarity raid" in late January 2024 on charges of supporting political prisoners and their families. That fall, she was convicted of a number of criminal offenses, including "assisting extremist activity" and "active participation in group actions that grossly violate public order," 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.
Alla was detained during a "solidarity raid" in late January 2024 on charges of supporting political prisoners and their families. That fall, she was convicted of "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
Elena, a nurse at the Republican Scientific and Practical Center for Children's Oncology, Hematology, and Immunology, was arrested and convicted of "assisting extremist activity" and sentenced to imprisonment.
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.
Elena Toporkova is 54 years old. She graduated from the Belarusian State Polytechnical Academy (now BNTU).
Elena was likely detained during a raid on those in solidarity with political prisoners that took place at the end of January 2024.
People caught in the raid on those in solidarity with political prisoners, which took place from January 23 to 24, say that the number of those who were subject to criminal cases may be much higher than human rights activists know. Completely non-public people simply made transfers or sent parcels to political prisoners from their own funds.
On March 19, 2026, she was pardoned after another visit to Minsk by US President Donald Trump's special representative, John Cole (among a group of 235 prisoners left in Belarus).
