All persecuted

Ukrainian citizen Lidiya Gruk was detained in the Malorita district of Belarus. A propaganda film by the Belarusian state-run ONT channel claims that Lidiya and her husband, Yevgeny, were photographing border facilities. According to the film's creators, the couple was charged with "terrorism." The "terrorism" charges were later downgraded to "intelligence activities." The family is survived by four minor children: two sons and two daughters. The youngest daughter was only seven months old at the time of her detention.

Lydia's husband was sentenced to 24 years in a maximum security penal colony.

She 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.

At the time of Lydia’s release, her children were with her mother-in-law in Belarus.

Julia Fenner has dual citizenship - Belarusian and British.

In the early 2000s, Julia worked at the British Embassy in Minsk. She married Martin Fenner, the Deputy Head of Mission. After Belarus, the family lived in Turkmenistan and Yekaterinburg, Russia, where Martin was posted.

The woman was detained at the border on March 31, 2024, while trying to enter Belarus. She was charged under two articles of the Criminal Code: Article 342 (active participation in actions that grossly violate public order) and Parts 1 and 2 of Article 361-4 (assistance to extremist activity). However, the essence of the charges is unknown to human rights activists. The detainee was placed in a pretrial detention center pending trial.

As a result, on August 21 of this year, Yulia was sentenced to seven years in prison.

On September 11, 2025, it became known that 52 political prisoners of the Belarusian regime were forcibly transferred to the territory of Lithuania. Among them are citizens of European countries . Among those released is Julia Fenner.

On September 13, he was detained by GUBOPiK officers. On September 16, a trial took place - the man was arrested for 13 days under Part 2 of Article 19 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (dissemination of extremist materials). The case did not end with one "administrative" case. After that, Nikolai was tried again: on September 27, then on October 3 and 16. Three times he was found guilty of disseminating "extremism", once - of illegal picketing (Part 1 of Article 24.23 of the Code of Administrative Offenses). Nikolai spent a total of 56 days in the Novopolotsk CIP.

Nikolai's fourth "day" ended in November. According to Nikolai, he had barely gone outside when he saw GUBOPiK officers waiting for him. This time he was detained on a criminal charge.

On February 12, 2025, he was released in an exchange.

Citizen of Estonia.

On January 16, 2024, the KGB made a decision to recognize the "Fund of Belarus Friend LTD" as an "extremist organization." The department's decision listed people who were allegedly related to the fund: Belarusians Oleg Stefanovich and Alexander Syritsa, as well as Estonian Allan Royo.

On June 21, 2025, Allan was released following a visit to Minsk by US President Donald Trump's Special Representative, Keith Kellogg.

Jurijs, a businessman and Latvian citizen, was arrested in August 2024 and convicted of three criminal charges, including “discrediting the Republic of Belarus.” The nature of the charges remains unknown, as the trial was held behind closed doors.

On June 21, 2025, he was released following a visit to Minsk by US President Donald Trump's Special Representative, Keith Kellogg.

Yanina was convicted in a criminal case opened under articles for “participation in an extremist group,” “inciting hatred and discord,” and “calls for sanctions.” According to the KGB, she was associated with the Telegram channel “Trielit,” which was added to the list of “extremist groups” in January 2024.

She was released under a pardon in December 2024.

Dmitry was detained upon returning to Belarus from Poland in early May.

Also under Part 1 of Art. 342 of the Criminal Code with Dmitry Andrei Karpovich will be tried.

Accused of participating in protests in Brest on August 10, 2020.

Elena, a mother of many children, was detained in the spring of 2024. She was initially convicted in an administrative case for “disobeying a lawful order or demand of an official,” but later a criminal case was opened, in which she was convicted of “participating in group actions that grossly violate public order.”

She was released in November 2024 as part of a pardon.

He was found guilty of “slander against Alexander Lukashenko.” The reason was a comment on the news in one of the telegram channels, which contained sharp criticism of the politician.

Father Andrzej Yukhniewicz, rector of the Roman Catholic parish in Shumilino, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima, has not been released from the Vitebsk temporary detention center after serving 45 days in custody . It has been learned that the priest's detention has been extended until July 2. He is only allowed medication as food parcels. There is virtually no information about him. Father Andrzej Yukhniewicz has already been convicted at least four times in a row. The first three were likely for the maximum 15-day sentence, and the fourth time, the court sentenced him to a further 10-day arrest.

Thus, the rector in Shumilino spent more than 45 days behind bars —the longest of any Roman Catholic or Greek Catholic priest sentenced to administrative arrest in Belarus. Afterward, a criminal case was opened against the priest.

As Christian Vizier learned in the fall of 2024, pressure continues to be placed on the priest in Pretrial Detention Center No. 2, where he has been held since his arrest on May 8, 2024. The priest was only allowed to shower for the first time after two months of detention. He faces charges related to crimes against the sexual integrity of minors.

On April 30, 2025, Father Andrzej was sentenced in Shumilino. Believers learned that the priest had been sentenced to 13 years in prison , although the prosecution had sought a 15-year sentence. The trial was presided over by Inna Grabovskaya, chairperson of the Shumilino District Court.

As the faithful learned, the priest completely denied the accusations and attempted to prove his innocence. As far as is known, the charges were based on the testimony of one or more "victims"—it's possible they were pressured. According to information received by the faithful, the priest's case concerns events that occurred approximately 10 years ago. The priest himself appeared in good spirits in court. Moreover, the diocese claims to have never received any complaints against Father Andrzej.

In November 2025, he was pardoned after a visit to Belarus by Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, as a special envoy of Pope Leo XIV.

In addition to imprisonment, Tatyana was awarded a fine of 2,000 rubles.

Irina Pogadaeva is 54 years old. She is from Brest. She worked at a local library as a bibliographer. Judging by social networks, she has two children.

At the end of January 2024, when she was tried for “distributing extremist materials.” At the end of 2023, she was included in the “extremist formation.” This was recognized by the Facebook community “Letters of Solidarity Belarus 2020”, in which people exchanged letters from political prisoners and also discussed helping prisoners.

In total, the case involves more than thirty episodes in which a woman sent money to political prisoners in pre-trial detention centers in Minsk, Gomel and other cities of the country. Basically, we are talking about amounts of 4-5 rubles. In just less than a year and a half (from August 2021 to December 2022), Irina sent 188 rubles. This was enough to initiate a criminal case and arrest in May 2024.

Convicted for comments on social media.