Political persecutions

Vyacheslav was convicted under the article on insult for, according to the charges, having personally written a note containing information of an offensive nature: "No complaints. I do not understand the staff of your gas station, who support the regime of the usurper Lukashenko."

Maria was arrested on September 9, 2020 and convicted for writing the words “We will not forget” at the site of the death of Alexander Taraikovsky, who was shot dead near the Pushkinskaya metro station during a protest that took place on August 10, 2020 in Minsk.

Alexander was convicted for a comment left on August 13, 2020. According to the prosecution, he posted an "offensive comment" on the page of a user with the nickname "Vera Konovalova." The post claimed that Drogichin police officer Yuri Chernyshkov "beat a girl with his hands and feet on the square in front of people" on August 10, 2020. Alexander left a comment under this post that began with the words "dealt with him" and contained an expletive. The text of the comment was not read out in full at the trial.

In September 2020, a video from Zhodino went viral online, showing police officer Nikolai Baranovsky hitting a woman in the face so hard that she fell to the ground. Outraged citizens immediately ran up to him, including Anastasia, who tore off the police officer's mask. In May 2021, the court found her guilty, considering this act as "committing violence or threatening to use violence against an employee of the internal affairs bodies."

Ekaterina is a legal consultant at TUT.BY. She graduated from the Law Faculty of BSU. Before TUT.BY, she worked in a large advertising company.

She was detained on May 18, 2021, as part of a criminal case against TUT.BY for tax evasion on an especially large scale. A few days later, she was placed under house arrest.

In April 2022, it became known that Ekaterina's preventive measure had been changed from house arrest to a written undertaking not to leave the country.

Kateryna did not appear at the TUT.BY trial, which began in January 2023 behind closed doors; by that time, she had already left the country.

In February 2025, court hearings began on the criminal case within the framework of special proceedings under four articles - the outcome is unknown.

Elena is a journalist. She started working at TUT.BY in 2014. At first, she worked in the Construction and Real Estate section, and after a few years, she moved to the Money and Power section.

She was detained on May 18, 2021, as part of a criminal case against TUT.BY for tax evasion on an especially large scale. In July 2022, Elena was released from pretrial detention on a non-disclosure agreement and surety, but the charges were not dropped. In the fall of the same year, the KGB added her to the list of "those involved in terrorism."

Elena did not appear at the TUT.BY trial, which began in January 2023 behind closed doors — by that time she had already left the country. In April of the same year, the Minsk City Court summoned deputy Valery Voronetsky and political scientist Yevgeny Preygerman, who vouched for Elena — they were fined 18.5 thousand Belarusian rubles each.

In February 2025, court hearings began on the criminal case within the framework of special proceedings under four articles - the outcome is unknown.

Olga is the former editor-in-chief of the political and economic block TUT.BY, graduated from BSU, BGEU and Oxford, and hosted the program “Economics on the Fingers” with Sergei Chaly.

On May 18, 2021, she was detained in a criminal case on tax evasion by TUT.BY. She was later charged with "inciting social hatred" and "calls for sanctions." In March 2022, she was released from pretrial detention on bail and recognizance, but the charges were not dropped. In the fall of that year, the KGB added her to the list of "those involved in terrorism."

Olga did not appear at the TUT.BY trial, which began in January 2023 behind closed doors — by that time, she had already left the country. In April of the same year, the Minsk City Court summoned the head of the Republican Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP) Alexander Shvets in connection with his surety for Olga — he was fined 18.5 thousand Belarusian rubles.

In February 2025, court hearings began on the criminal case within the framework of special proceedings under four articles - the outcome is unknown.

Marina has been the editor-in-chief of TUT.BY since 2004 and is known for her interest in Balkan culture and her knowledge of the Bulgarian language.

In 2019, she was fined in a criminal case under the article "inaction of an official" for accessing BelTA materials; human rights activists deemed the case politically motivated.

In May 2021, she was arrested on charges of tax evasion, but the charge was later dropped.

In October 2022, the KGB added Marina to its list of persons "involved in terrorist activity." She was later also charged with "inciting hatred" and "calls for actions against national security."

The trial was held behind closed doors and lasted more than two months, with 37 hearings in total. In March 2023, she was sentenced to a lengthy prison term.

On December 13, 2025, she was released after another visit to Minsk by US President Donald Trump's special representative, John Cole, and taken to Ukraine.

Vladimir was convicted for a message left in an open Viber chat addressed to state security officer Denis Semenov. According to the indictment, it contained a negative assessment of his personality - in particular, Vladimir called him a "s*ck, a loser and a whiner."

In January 2022, he was transferred from an open-type correctional facility to “house arrest” as part of a pardon.

Vladimir, a football fan, was detained on May 4, 2021, by GUBOPiK and SOBR officers as part of a criminal case opened for protests that took place in Mozyr in August 2020 after the presidential elections.

At the end of May 2021, he was released on bail.

Sergei, a football fan, was detained on May 4, 2021, by GUBOPiK and SOBR officers as part of a criminal case opened for protests that took place in Mozyr in August 2020 after the presidential elections.

At the end of May 2021, he was released on bail.

Vadim, a football fan, was detained on May 4, 2021, by GUBOPiK and SOBR officers as part of a criminal case opened for protests that took place in Mozyr in August 2020 after the presidential elections.

At the end of May 2021, he was released on bail.

Valery was detained on April 29, 2021, as part of a criminal case opened after a protest action, the March of Heroes, which took place in Minsk on September 13, 2020. He was convicted of "participation in group actions that grossly violate public order."

In July 2022, his sentence was changed and he was transferred to “house arrest” due to health reasons.

Yuri was detained on April 9, 2021, by GUBOPiK officers at his workplace, after which his home was searched. He was taken to an unknown building, where, under threats to his life and that of his family, he was beaten and forced to record a video confessing to participating in a protest on September 23, 2020, in the Serebryanka microdistrict of Minsk. Yuri was then taken to the Investigative Committee, where, under the supervision of officers, he wrote a confession.

He was later convicted under the article “participation in group actions that grossly violate public order” and sentenced to restricted freedom.

Before he began serving his sentence, he managed to leave Belarus.

Vadim was arrested in April 2021 and convicted for participating in a protest that took place on August 10, 2020 in Minsk against the falsification of the presidential election results.

In November and December 2024, as well as in February 2025, in absentia court hearings were held regarding Vadim “on replacing the restriction of freedom without sending him to an open-type correctional facility.”