Paul Ivanovich Kazakov
- Home
- Involved in repression
- Paul Ivanovich Kazakov
Paul Ivanovich Kazakov
Responsible for all illegal actions against prisoners in Grodno Prison No. 1. Such actions include psychological and, in some cases, physical violence, illegal sending to solitary confinement, restrictions on correspondence and receiving parcels from persons in the institution.
On July 11, 2023, political prisoner Ales Pushkin died in a hospital in Grodno. He was taken there from the territory of Prison No. 1 in Grodno. As the head of this prison, he is responsible for the conditions of detention and the untimely provision of medical care to prisoners, which led to a tragic outcome.
In particular, his actions clearly show disregard for the rights of prisoners, including for political reasons.
Responsible for all illegal actions against prisoners in Grodno Prison No. 1. Such actions include psychological and, in some cases, physical violence, illegal sending to solitary confinement, restrictions on correspondence and receiving parcels from persons in the institution.
On July 11, 2023, political prisoner Ales Pushkin died in a hospital in Grodno. He was taken there from the territory of Prison No. 1 in Grodno. As the head of this prison, he is responsible for the conditions of detention and the untimely provision of medical care to prisoners, which led to a tragic outcome.
In particular, his actions clearly show disregard for the rights of prisoners, including for political reasons.
List of repressed
- Associations
Ivan, who has two higher educations, previously worked as an artist-designer and then became an animator, director and video editor. He is also an artist and author of short stories. On October 21, 2020, he was detained and convicted on charges of posting calls for destabilization of public order on a Telegram channel, including arson of the KGB and Oshmyany District Prosecutor's Office buildings.
In December 2022, he was retried for "disobeying the demands of the administration." In May 2024, Ivan was again convicted of "malicious disobedience" and additionally imprisoned for 2 years.
- Associations
- Entrepreneurs
Andrey was arrested on September 27, 2020, during a protest in Grodno after he tried to protect and help a man lying on the ground. As a result, he was convicted of "violence against a police officer."
At the end of December 2021, Andrey was transferred to prison regime.
- Associations
- Activists
- Civil servants
- Parents of minors
- Law enforcement
Vladimir, a former security officer and volunteer for presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya's team, was arrested on June 4, 2020 and convicted in June 2021 in the "Tikhanovsky case." The criminal case was opened after a picket that took place on May 29, 2020, in Grodno, where Sergei Tikhanovsky and his supporters were detained.
In 2022, Vladimir was transferred to prison regime.
In July 2023, he was convicted again for “malicious disobedience to the demands of the colony administration.”
Since September 2023, Vladimir has been held incommunicado, placed in a cell-type facility (PKT), and regularly issued new disciplinary violations. He has also been deprived of packages, visits, and phone calls.
In February 2025, the third trial took place under the article "malicious disobedience to the demands of the colony administration." Under this article, prisoners who refuse to cooperate with the administration are tried on the basis of alleged violations. As a result, his total prison term was 6 years.
- Associations
- Factory workers
Artem worked as an optician at the Lida Optik plant. He received his education at the Grodno Physics and Mathematics Lyceum and the Lida Polytechnic College. He was detained on September 27, 2020, in connection with a case of mass riots and accused of participating in Telegram channels of a "radical orientation" and of intending to damage or destroy three Tabakerka kiosks.
In May 2022, Artem was convicted again for participating in protests that took place in Lida in 2020.
- Associations
- Entrepreneurs
- Parents of minors
An individual entrepreneur was detained and convicted under three criminal articles for participating in an event that occurred during the dispersal of people on October 11, 2020, near the Pushkinskaya metro station.
In April 2022, Ivan was convicted again for participating in a protest, but this did not affect his final sentence. However, in November of the same year, he was given another year of imprisonment, convicted of "disobeying the demands of the administration of the correctional facility."
In September 2023, he was sentenced to an additional 3 years in prison for "violence against an official."
In March 2024, he was transferred to prison for 3 years.
- Associations
- IT staff
He was arrested on August 11, 2020, on charges of organizing mass riots and convicted three times in 2021.
In March 2023, Dmitry's sentence was increased and he was transferred to a three-year prison regime.
- Associations
- Parents of minors
A team member of YouTube channel «Country for Life» team, RV driver, lived in a city of Staryia Darohi, Minsk region.
Detained during a picket for collecting signatures in support of Svetlana Tikhanovskaya in Grodno on May 29, 2020.
On July 13, 2023, it became known that the political prisoner was transferred to a prison regime for a period of 2 years. Alexander was offered several times to write an application for pardon, but he refused.
- Associations
- Bloggers
- Associations
- Bloggers
- Associations
- Parents of minors
- Associations
- Parents of minors
Yuri spent more than five months in prison in Grodno Prison No. 1. On January 25, 2024, a criminal case was opened against him under Article 369 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus for a photograph of Lidiya Yermoshina posted about ten years ago. However, the next day the case was closed due to the fact that the period for bringing to criminal responsibility had expired.
His case should be considered politically motivated, since it fits perfectly into the general pattern of attacks on freedom of association, including through the persecution of civil society organizations aimed at national revival.
Meleshkevich was involved in the "Manor Padarosk" case - an initiative to restore an old estate near Vawkavysk, which was financed by businessman and philanthropist of Belarusian origin Pavel Podkorytov. In April 2023, he was released on bail . Before his arrest, Meleshkevich was involved in preserving and popularizing heritage, participated in organizing a summer camp to restore the old cemetery in Izabelin, and organized a summer camp to clear the ruins of the Bochwitz burial site in Podorosk.
Meleshkevich was the deputy chairman of the "Belarusian Voluntary Society for the Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments". Previously, before the liquidation of the organization by the Supreme Court, he was the deputy chairman of the public association "BPF "Adradzhenne", an activist of the Movement "For Freedom".
Yuri moved to his relatives in Bialystok.
- Associations
- Bloggers
- Foreign citizens
- Parents of minors
- Associations
- Bloggers
- Foreign citizens
- Parents of minors
Vyacheslav Papsho, 39, is a Lithuanian citizen and lived in Vilnius. He likely has Belarusian roots; at least, he has long been interested in events in Belarus. He is fluent in Lithuanian and Russian and also understands Belarusian well.
In 2020, he began dedicating his videos exclusively to Belarusian topics. He supported Belarusians who were protesting, spoke about political prisoners, and criticized various government agencies. Recently, this has been the focus of much of his content.
Vyacheslav suddenly disappeared from view on July 29, 2024. Afterward, some videos disappeared from his channel, and some subscribers were removed from his channel and Telegram chat. On August 23, 2024, his channel "Zhive" (Long Live) was added to the list of extremist groups.
It recently became known that Vyacheslav went to the Republic of Belarus and was detained.
He has a Belarusian wife and a daughter.
On November 17, 2025, Vyacheslav's trials began.
On December 13, 2025, before the sentencing, Vyacheslav was released after another visit to Minsk by US President Donald Trump's special representative, John Cole, and taken to Lithuania.
- Associations
- Parents of minors
- Associations
- Parents of minors
Lyubov was detained along with her mother during a mass raid in Belarus on October 31 in connection with the Yard Chat Case.
Lyuba is a single mother and has a six-year-old daughter. A relative has taken custody of the daughter during Lyuba's imprisonment.
While in pretrial detention (for almost a year), Lyuba was diagnosed with cancer. Despite this, her pretrial detention was not changed and she remained in custody until her trial. She was the only defendant in her case to be sentenced to home confinement, as she urgently needed chemotherapy. All the others received sentences ranging from 2.5 to 3 years in prison.
- Associations
- Activists
- Associations
- Activists
Well-known public activist Yuri Kutuzov.
He was detained in October-November 2024 in Smorgon, when about 12 people were caught up in a “purge.” Some of those detained were released, including Yuri.
Six people remained behind bars and were convicted.
Alexei was detained in April 2024 and later convicted of “insulting and slandering Lukashenko.”
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.
Before the trial, he was held in ST-1 of the city of Grodno and the temporary detention facility in Voronovo.