At least 12 Ukrainians held in Belarusian prisons for political reasons

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

Source: the Belarusian Viasna Human Rights Centre

Details: Human rights activists at Viasna report that repressions against Ukrainians have intensified in Belarus since the start of Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine. Ukrainians crossing the Belarusian border are detained and thoroughly interrogated, and their phones are checked.

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

Details: Viasna says trials of Ukrainians are held behind closed doors, and the main source of information is propaganda stories.

The human rights activists are currently aware of 12 Ukrainian citizens who are being held in Belarusian captivity due to politically motivated criminal cases.

Viacheslav Borodii was detained in autumn 2023 on charges of "agent activity". His trial began on 15 October 2024 at the Gomel Oblast court. He was led into the courtroom in chains.

Ivan Lykhalat was detained in September 2023. He is charged with six crimes, including an "act of terrorism" and "agent activity". His trial is being held in camera.

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

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

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

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

Mykhailo Staliarchuk, Dmytro Hudyk and Serhii Boiko were convicted of "agent activity" in Belarus in favour of Ukraine. Mykhailo and Serhii were sentenced to six and five years in prison respectively. Boiko’s prison term is unknown.

Andrii Shmai has been accused of "espionage and agent activity". His trial is being held in camera. 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’ imprisonment. He was accused of "inciting racial, national, religious or other social hatred", "setting up or participating in an extremist formation", "insulting Lukashenko", and "slandering Lukashenko".

Viasna estimates that there are currently 1,300 political prisoners in Belarus.

Background: As of June 2024, Belarus was holding 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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