Mikita Uladzimiravicz Jemialjanaw
- Associations
- Activists
- Students
Nikita was arrested in October 2019 and convicted of attacks on the buildings of Pretrial Detention Center No. 1 and the Minsk City Court in Minsk in solidarity with political prisoners. He was initially sentenced to seven years in prison, but on appeal, his sentence was reduced to four years. In May 2020, Nikita was transferred to a prison regime.
In March 2022, he was convicted again of "malicious disobedience to the demands of the correctional facility administration"—a charge often applied to inmates who refuse to cooperate with prison authorities. In March 2023, he was transferred back to the prison regime.
Throughout his imprisonment, Nikita has been subjected to constant pressure. He is frequently placed in solitary confinement, where he is held in isolation for dozens of days. He is denied visits from his family, his correspondence is restricted, and his personal belongings are confiscated. In response to the harsh conditions, Nikita protests with hunger strikes and by refusing to comply with the administration's demands. He is also regularly subjected to penalties for minor infractions, such as refusing to clean the courtyard or for inter-cell communication.
Three months before his release, in February 2025, Nikita faced another court hearing on charges of "malicious disobedience to the demands of the administration of a correctional facility," as a result of which he was sentenced to another year of imprisonment.
By December 2024, Nikita had spent a total of 568 days in solitary confinement, including two months of continuous isolation.
As of the beginning of December 2025, Nikita had spent 648 days in solitary confinement.
How to write a letter
✏️ A postcard with words of encouragement (a poem by your favorite author, song lyrics, or a beautiful quote). Trust us, even such simple gestures are very meaningful to a person in jail.
✏️ Your life events. To a person who is in isolation for a long time, any story about your routine endeavors will be a window into normal life. Your day-to-day worries and mundane matters are much more interesting than the daily grind of life behind bars.
✏️ It is important to share news. Mention the most notable and interesting occurrences depending on your pen-pal's interests.
✍️️ Remember that every letter is censored. This means that your letters are read by strangers whose main goal is to limit inmates' access to information or to use it against the prisoners or even you.
So try to avoid:
👉️️ harsh statements regarding ongoing political matters
👉 statements against the authorities and public servants
👉 foul language
👉 discussion of the circumstances of the criminal case
Involved in repression
