Behind bars

Yana Arabejka

A student of Faculty of Aesthetic Education of Belarusian State University. Detained together with other 11 student activists in November and accused of “organizing activities, grossly violating public order”.

Eduard Babaryka

Victor Babaryka's son was the head of his initiative group. Managed crowdfunding platforms Ulej and MolaMola. He was detained on June 18 together with his father while going to the CEC to hand in the collected signatures. Edward is accused of "especially large-scale tax evasion."

Viktar Babaryka

A patron, a public figure, a potential presidential candidate, a banker. The initiator of a number of cultural projects: the International Theater Forum "Theater", the project "Art-Belarus", in which the works of Chagall, Sutin and other artists were returned to Belarus, the sponsor of the creation of a cultural hub OK16. With his assistance, the original Bible by Francis Skaryna, the great Belarusian enlightener, returned to Belarus. Viktar Babaryka was detained on June 18 on his way to the CEC to hand in his collected signatures.

Anzelika Borys

The Head of the unregistered Union of Poles. Detained in March in Grodna for organizing a celebration of a national holiday Kaziuki. Accused of inciting hostility and rehabilitation of Nazism.

Kasia Budzko

A member of the Belarusian Students’ Union, a painter at “Solidarity postcards workshop”. Detained together with other 11 student activists in November and accused of “organizing activities, grossly violating public order”.

Anastasia Bulybenka

A student, expelled during the autumn protests. An actress. Detained together with other 11 student activists in November and accused of “organizing activities, grossly violating public order”.

Yulia Charniauskaya

A researcher, a culturologist, a playwriter and a professor. The author of more than 200 scientific articles, 8 monographs and textbooks. A widow of the founder of the main Belarusian news website tut.by (recently destroyed by the state). Julia was detained on May 18 on charges of "tax evasion." She is under house arrest.

Mikola Dziadok

An artist and a blogger. Severely beaten during his detention in November and tortured afterwards. Accused of organizing actions that violate public order.

Gleb Fintser

A student at Minsk State Linguistic University. Detained together with other 11 student activists in November and accused of “organizing activities, grossly violating public order”.

Danila Gancharou

An artist, he worked at the New Drama Theater, fired for participating in a strike. He was detained on March 15. He is accused of "organizing actions that violate public order.

Uladzimir Garoh

A musician Uladzimir Garoh has been entenced to 7 years in maximum security correctional facility for supposedly planning mass riots and posting a humiliating comment about Lukashenka in a Telegram chat.

Natalla Hershe

A painter Natalla Hershe, a Swiss national, has lived in Switzerland with her husband and daughter for the past twelve years. Sentenced to two and a half years in colony for pulling the balaclava off the head of a special police officer.

Anatol Hinevich

A programmer and a bard from Barysau, sentenced to two and a half years in the colony for beating a policeman while lying down.

Maria Kalenik

A student of Belarusian Arts Academy, a member of the initiative “The Academy of Freedom”. A designer. Detained together with other 11 student activists in November and accused of “organizing activities, grossly violating public order”.

Maria Kolesnikova

The head of the election headquarters of Victor Babarika, was the art director of the cultural hub OK16, a flutist. Organized international cultural projects in Germany and Belarus, participated in concerts. Maria tore her passport at the border when she was forcibly taken out of the country. Accused of public appeals to seize state power. Awaiting trial.

Ivan Kaniaveha

A director of the event agency Horse&Vega, arrested during one of the protests in December 2020. Sentenced to 3 years in colony for trying to stop a militia car from driving into the crowd of protesters.

Dzmity Kurabau

A designer, sentenced for seven years in high security colony for actively participating in the protests on 11 August 2020.

Viachaslau Lamanosau

A filmmaker, who left the state TV in August 2020. Sentenced to two years in colony for participating in protests and punching his ex-colleague, a cameraoperator from the state TV. The latter had no complaints about the incident.

Ksenia Lutskina

A journalist, a historian and a filmmaker. Left state TV in 2020 and planned to create an alternative TV channel with her colleagues.

Uladzimir Makavietski

a painter, a sculptor and a resporer. Sentenced to two years in prison for a supposed intention of exercising violence against a police officer.

Pavel Mazko

A clothes designer and a volunteer at orphanages. Accused of participating in mass protests.

Anastasia Mirontsava

A sister of Viktoria Mirontsava. A painter and a student at Belarusian Arts Academy. Sentenced to two years in prison for blocking the roads during the protests and trying to prevent militia from arresting a protester by pushing them aside.

Viktoria Mirontsava

A sister of Anastasia Mirontsava. A painter and an arts-teacher. Sentenced to two and a half years in prison for blocking the roads during the protests and trying to prevent militia from arresting a protester by pushing them aside.

Alaksandr Nurdzinau

a painter, who was sentenced to four years in colony for throwing flowers at police officers during the protests on 9 August 2020.

Andrei Papou

A painter and an metal artist. Received five years in colony for attacking a policeman during the mass protests.

Ales Pushkin

A painter, a performance artists and a restorer. Arrested for exhibiting a portrait of an anti-soviet movement activist. Faces up to 12 years.

Alaksei Sanchuk

A drummer. Sentenced to six year in high security prison for blocking the roads and participating in mass protests.

Mikalai Saseu

A dance teacher and a volunteer at Babaryka’s campaign. Detained in August 2020 and accused of “wanting to provoke mass unrests with the help of laser pointers”. Sentenced to five years in high security colony.

Pavel Seviarynets

A well known politician, a publicist and a writer. Arrested in June 2020, two months before the elections, sentenced to seven years in high security prison for organizing mass protests.

Pavel Spiryn

A blogger, his film "The Edge" (about drug trafficking in Belarus) and "The Terrible Secret of the Prosecutor General of Belarus: Carte Blanche for Sadism" are included in the list of extremist materials. He intended to become a presidential candidate, but his initiative group was denied registration. Pavel was accused of inciting hostility, and sentenced to four years and six months in colony.

Rastsislau Stefanovich

An interior designer and an architect, the author of the numerous projects of apartments, cafes and other buildings in Belarus and abroad. On September 29, he was severely beaten and detained. Accused of participating in mass protests.

Ksenia Syramalot

A writer, a volunteer at human rights centre Viasna and a press secretary at the Belarusian Students’ Union. Detained together with other 11 student activists in November and accused of “organizing activities, grossly violating public order”.

Artsiom Takarchuk

An internationally acclaimed architect, harshly detained in September 2020 and sentenced to three and a half years in the colony for resisting a soldier.

Aliaksandr Vasilevich

A well-known businessman, owner of the advertising agency Vondel/Hepta and the sponsor of the Y arts gallery. Arrested on August 28 by representatives of the Department of Financial Investigations. It is still unknown what the accusation is.

Siarhei Volkau

An actor of Polesie Drama Theater. He is known in Pinsk as an organizer of cultural events. With the onset of the pandemic, Sergei went to work as a paramedical at a local hospital to help the doctors. Arrested in May 2021 for organizing mass protests in Pinsk in August 2020.

Maksim Znak

A lawyer and a member of the Board of the Coordination Council. The coordinator of the legal team of Viktar Babaryka. A bard, has performed at the festivals “The Bards’ autumn” and “the Bards’ spring”. Arrested in September 2020 and accused of calling for actions, aimed to harm the national security of Belarus.

Ihar Yarmolau

The director of a dance shool “Dance Café” and a volunteer at Babaryka’s team. Detained in August 2020 and accused of “wanting to provoke mass unrests with the help of laser pointers”. Sentenced to five years in high security colony.