At least 12 Ukrainian citizens held in Belarusian prisons for political reasons

On June 28, 2024, five political prisoners of Ukraine were released from Belarusian prisons. These are Natallia Zakharanka, Pavlo Kupriyenko, Liudmila Hancharenka, Katsiaryna Brukhanava, as well as Mikalai Shvets, a person involved in the Mačuliščy attack case (in October he was sentenced in absentia to 25 years in a penal colony). At least 12 more Ukrainian citizens remain imprisoned in Belarus. They are accused of "agent activities", "espionage", and under other politically motivated criminal articles. Viasna reports the stories of 12 Ukrainian political prisoners who are currently imprisoned in Belarus.

Return of political prisoners from Belarus to Ukraine

The campaign of persecution of Ukrainians and the sudden release of five political prisoners

With the outbreak of a full-scale invasion into Ukraine, pressure on Ukrainians in Belarus has increased: they are detained under administrative and criminal articles. Ukrainians continue to undergo extensive interrogations and phone checks at Belarusian border crossings. Ukrainian citizens got imprisoned in Belarus for various reasons. As of June 2024, at least 15 Ukrainians were detained in Belarus under criminal articles.

On the evening of June 28, there was sudden news about the release of five political prisoners from the Belarusian penal colonies and a pre-trial detention facility. The Ukrainian authorities have secured the release of their citizens as prisoners of war. The details of the exchange were reported by Natallia Zakharanka, who, after the verdict, was preparing for the transfer to a women's penal colony, but suddenly she was ordered to leave, writes Radio Svaboda. Natallia thought she was being transferred to another cell. The woman was put in a minibus and taken away somewhere without explanations. A bag was put on her head and earplugs in her ears. Together with Natallia, prisoners of war from Russia and Liudmila Hancharenka from Chernihiv were brought into the minibus.

"Literally an hour before arriving to the border, we were informed that we would be transferred to Ukraine, on an exchange. I was shocked. My hands were shaking so much that I couldn't drink water, and I poured it all over my T-shirt. I was hysterical. I thought it was some kind of dream," Natallia notes.

Also, with the beginning of a full-scale invasion, the prosecution of Ukrainians in Belarus for "cooperation with the Ukrainian special services" began. The actions of the detained Ukrainians are classified as "agent activity" under Articles 358-1 of the Criminal Code and "espionage" (Article 358 of the Criminal Code). Thus, at least eight citizens of Ukraine became defendants under these articles. The information about such cases primarily originates from propaganda films. The trials are held in closed modes. 

A huntsman from the border area and a Ukrainian who has lived in Belarus for more than 10 years

Viachaslau Barodziy during investigative action

In the autumn of 2023, the KGB announced that six people had been detained in Belarus on charges of "preparing terrorist attacks," among them two Ukrainians.

Ukrainian huntsman Viachaslau Barodziy was detained in the Jeĺsk district of Belarus, which borders the Zhytomyr region of Ukraine. This became known from a film on September 11, 2023, which was shown on all state channels. The film said that Barodziy, after the outbreak of the full-scale invasion, allegedly underwent training by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and that "since March 2023, he began to cooperate with the Security Service of Ukraine."

On October 15, 2024, the trial of Viachaslau Barodziy, as well as Belarusians Mikalai Lasouski and Valiantsina Polaz, began in the Homieĺ Regional Court. The Ukrainian is accused of "espionage activities." He was chained up during the investigation.

Also, Ukrainian Ivan Likhalat was shown in a propaganda film a year ago. According to the film, in 2013 he moved to Belarus. On October 22, Ivan Likhalat was tried in Minsk City Court with two Belarusians, Baris Pukhalski and Ivan Barodzich. The trial is scheduled to be handled by judge Anzhela Kastsiukevich. The defendants in the case are charged under a number of articles of the Criminal Code: Part 3 of Article 289 of the Criminal Code (act of terrorism), Article 358-1 (agent activity), Part 4 of Article 309 of the Criminal Code (intentionally damaging a vehicle or communication lines), Part 4 of Article 295 of the Criminal Code (illegal actions related to firearms, ammunition and explosives), Part 1 of Article 356 of the Criminal Code (treason to the state), Part 2 of Article 406 of the Criminal Code (failure to report a crime). The trial is held behind closed doors.

55-year-old resident of Kropyvnytskyi

On July 10, 2024, Yury Bandarenka was sentenced by the Court of the Babrujsk District and the city of Babrujsk under Part 1 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code (insulting Lukashenka) to one year and six months in a general security penal colony. The case was heard behind closed doors, so the details of the man's persecution are unknown.

The List of Belarusian citizens, foreign citizens, and stateless persons involved in extremist activities indicates that he is a resident of the Ukrainian city of Kropyvnytskyi. He is currently serving his setence.

25-year-old DJ 

On January 27, 2024, Artsiom Makavei, a 25-year-old DJ from Ukraine was detained in Kobryn for "agent activity" (Article 358-1 of the Criminal Code). According to Nasha Niva, Makavei has lived in Belarus since 2009 and had a residence permit here. His mother said that in January 2023, her son was called to the migration service and "offered to get a polygraph test there." He was detained.

The trial of the man began on April 29, 2024 in the Brest Regional Court, handled by judge Mikalai Sianko. The essence of the charge is unknown, since the trial was held in closed mode. As a result, he was sentenced to six years of imprisonment and sent to serve time in the Babrujsk penal colony. But in early August 2024, it became known that Artsiom was placed in pre-trial detention center No. 7. The reasons are unknown.

Father and son from the Ukrainian border

In early April 2024, the state-owned ONT channel released a story about detentions in areas bordering Ukraine. 10 detainees were reported, three of whom are citizens of Ukraine. These are father and son Siarhei and Pavel Kabarchuk. According to the TV channel, they illegally crossed the Ukrainian-Belarusian border and brought explosives to Belarus. The authors of the story claim that the men crossed the border with thermal camera, thus checking if there was anyone in their way. What they are accused of now, the procedural status, and location of the Ukrainians are unknown. Pro-government sources called them "saboteurs of the Security Service of Ukraine"

On October 23, 2024, the verdict of Siarhei and Pavel Kabarchuk, father and son, was announced in the Homieĺ Regional Court.  Each of them was sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment in a medium security penal colony, as well as a fine of 28 thousand rubles each (almost 7,900 euros).

They were found guilty under Part 3 of Article 289 of the Criminal Code (act of terrorism), Part 4 of Article 295 of the Criminal Code (illegal actions related to firearms, ammunition, and explosives), Article 358-1 of the Criminal Code (agent activity), Part 3 of Article 333-1 of the Criminal Code (illegal movement of toxic substances, firearms, ammunition, explosives across the border).

A 16-year-old student

Maryia Misiuk

At the end of April 2024, a propaganda film Children in the Crosshairs was released. It showed the detention of seven teenagers for "cooperation with the Ukrainian special services". Some of them are accused of "an act of terrorism" and "treason against the state." The film said that six teenagers allegedly united in the Black Nightingales anarchist cell, which "under the leadership of the National Liberation Army of Ukraine" was created by 16-year-old citizen of Ukraine Maryia Misiuk. The case has not been heard yet, and the current procedural status and location of Maryia are unknown.

Convicted of "espionage activities"

Mikhail Staliarchuk and Dzmitry Hudzik

On November 24, 2022, the Brest Regional Court handed down a verdict in a trial in "agent activity" in favor of Ukraine. Ukrainians Mikhail Staliarchuk and Dzmitry Hudzik were tried for "collecting data on military equipment and facilities in Belarus on the instructions of the Security Service of Ukraine." They were accused of "espionage activities." Judge Andrei Leshchanka sentenced Mikhail to six years in a penal colony, and Dzmitry to five. They are serving their sentences in Viciebsk and Mahilioŭ penal colonies.

According to the prosecution's version, on the instructions of the Security Service of Ukraine, they have been collecting data on military equipment and facilities since 2018. Ihar Dzirko was detained with them, but instead of being prosecuted, he was expelled from Belarus.

Also, in the summer of 2023, a citizen of Ukraine and a resident of Naroŭlia, Siarhei Boika, was convicted of "agent activity".He was tried in the Homieĺ Regional Court under Article 358-1 of the Criminal Code in closed mode. The case was handled by judge Anatol Sotnikau. The term is unknown, but the sentence is connected with imprisonment.

On September 8, 2023, he was included in the list of Belarusian citizens, foreign citizens, and stateless persons involved in extremist activities. He is serving time in penal colony No. 3.

An employee of a regional executive committee

Andrei Shmai

On February 15, 2024, a 37-year-old citizen of Ukraine, Andrei Shmai, was tried in the Viciebsk Regional Court. He was charged under two serious articles of the Criminal Code: Article 358 (espionage) and Article 358-1 (agent activity). The case was handled by Yauhen Burunou. The trial was held behind closed doors. Andrei's sentence is unknown, as is the place of his detention. Andrey has been behind bars since January 19, 2023. He was detained right at his workplace. For a long time, the family did not know what happened to him, and only two weeks later, Andrei's wife received a call from the authorities. A man who identified himself as an investigator asked to hand over Andrei's documents. He did not provide any more details.

The man was born in Chernihiv and has Ukrainian citizenship. He moved to Belarus after his marriage. The family has been living in Viciebsk for 10 years. Andrei worked as a building maintenance worker of the Viciebsk Regional Executive Committee. It is known that Andrei Shmai is a former military man. He served on the Belarusian-Ukrainian border as an inspector at the Yarylovychi checkpoint. Then he moved to Viciebsk, got a job as a building maintenance and repair worker and performed various jobs related to maintaining electric systems, plumbing, and other routine work.

In the ONT film about the terrorist attack in Mačuliščy and the Security Service of Ukraine network, which was released on April 5, 2023, it is said that Andrei Shmai regularly sent information about the situation in the regional executive committee via the Signal messenger to Ukraine to his younger brother Ruslan, who serves in the Chernihiv operational directorate and is deputy commander for operational affairs.

34-year-old Ukrainian

In March 2024, Ukrainian citizen Aliaksandr Katovich was sentenced to five years in a penal colony. In the Minsk City Court, he was convicted under Part 1 of Article 130 of the Criminal Code (incitement of racial, national, religious or other social hatred or enmity), Part 3 of Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code (creation of an extremist formation or participation in it), Part 1 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code (insulting Lukashenka), Part 2 of Article 367 of the Criminal Code (slandering Lukashenka), and was sentenced to five years in a penal colony. The essence of the accusation is unknown. The Ukrainian is serving his term in Škloŭ penal colony No. 17.