At least 12 Ukrainians held in Belarusian prisons for political reasons

At least 12 Ukrainian citizens are being held in Belarusian prison due to politically motivated criminal cases. 

Source: Belarusian Human Rights Centre Viasna 

Details: Human rights activists report that since the beginning of the full-scale Russian war in Ukraine, repressions against Ukrainians have intensified in Belarus: they are detained and thoroughly interrogated, and their phones are checked when they cross the Belarusian border.

Quote: "Ukrainians in Belarus are most often persecuted for allegedly "cooperating with Ukrainian special services". The actions of the detainees are classified as "agent activity" and "espionage". At least eight citizens of Ukraine have been charged under these articles."

Details: Human rights activists report that trials of Ukrainians are held behind closed doors, and the source of information is mostly propaganda stories.

Currently, human rights activists are aware of 12 more Ukrainian citizens who are being held in Belarusian captivity under politically motivated criminal articles.

Viacheslav Borodii was detained in autumn 2023 on "agent activity" charges. The trial n  case was first held on 15 October 2024 in the Gomel Regional Court. During the investigation, he was led away in chains.

Ivan Lykhalat was detained in September 2023. He is charged with six crimes, including a "terrorist act" and "espionage". The trial is held in closed session.

On 10 July, Yurii Bondarenko was sentenced to 18 months in a general regime prison for insulting Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko. Details of the prosecution are unknown.

Artem Makavei was detained on 27 January 2024 in Kobryn (Belarus) for "espionage". His mother said that in January 2023, her son was summoned to the migration service and "offered to take a polygraph test", after which he was detained. During a closed trial, he was sentenced to six years in prison.

Serhii and Pavlo Kabarchuks, father and son, were sentenced to 20 years in prison in a maximum security colony. In early April 2024, Belarusian propagandists released a story claiming that the Kabarchuks had allegedly crossed the border illegally and that they were allegedly carrying explosive devices intended "to carry out terrorist attacks in Russia and Belarus".

Mariia Misiuk was accused of "cooperation with Ukrainian special services". The case did not go to court, and Mariia's actual procedural status and whereabouts are unknown.

Mykhailo Staliarchuk, Dmytro Hudyk, and Serhii Boiko were convicted of "espionage" in Belarus in favour of Ukraine. Mykhailo and Serhii were sentenced to six and five years in prison, respectively, and Boiko was sentenced to an unknown term.

Andrii Shmai was accused of "espionage and agent activity." The trial is being held behind closed doors. Andrii's sentence and place of detention are unknown. He has been behind bars since 19 January 2023.

Oleksandr Kotovich was sentenced to five years in prison. He was accused of "inciting racial, national, religious or other social hatred", "creating or participating in an extremist formation", "insulting Lukashenko", and "slandering Lukashenko".

Human rights activists estimate that there are currently 1,300 political prisoners in Belarus.

Background:

• As of June 2024, Belarus held at least 15 Ukrainians in prison on criminal charges. On 28 June, five Ukrainian citizens were released from Belarus as prisoners of war: Nataliia Zakharenko, Pavlo Kupriienko, Liudmyla Honcharenko, Kateryna Brukhanova and Mykola Shvets.

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