Belarus Convicts 419 Over Support for Ukraine Since 2022
- At least 419 people in Belarus have been convicted in cases related to supporting Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Reform.news reported, citing data...
- The largest share of convictions involves charges of facilitating extremist activity, accounting for 222 cases.
- Additional prosecutions include 44 people convicted of state treason and 17 foreign nationals sentenced on agent activity charges.
At least 419 people in Belarus have been convicted in cases related to supporting Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Reform.news reported, citing data from the Viasna Human Rights Centre. Of those prosecuted, 142 individuals remain behind bars, while human rights advocates warn that the actual number of convictions is likely higher.
Extremism Charges and Military Tracking
The largest share of convictions involves charges of facilitating extremist activity, accounting for 222 cases. According to reporting from Reform.news cited by zmina.info, these charges primarily stem from individuals sharing photographs and videos documenting the movement of Russian military equipment through Belarusian territory.
Additional prosecutions include 44 people convicted of state treason and 17 foreign nationals sentenced on agent activity charges. Investigators have also secured 29 terrorism convictions tied specifically to railway sabotage and an incident at the Machulishchy airbase, alongside 45 sentences for money transfers deemed to be financing extremist or terrorist activities.
The Hajun Case and Railway Sabotage Prosecutions
A major driver of recent prosecutions is the Hajun case, which centers on the monitoring project Belaruski Hajun. The investigation began following the hacking of the project on February 5, 2025, after which security forces obtained personal data of project users and initiated sweeping detentions.
Viasna recorded at least 141 individuals connected to the Hajun case as of October 22, 2026, with at least 41 people currently imprisoned. Recent sentencings include a three-and-a-half-year penal colony term handed to 31-year-old Khoinyki resident Artur Syrokvasha.
Separately, security forces have targeted individuals labeled as railway partisans for alleged sabotage of rail infrastructure. Human rights monitors report that 10 political prisoners from these sabotage cases remain in detention amid documented accounts of violence and torture during arrests, with none released through pardons or prisoner swaps.
Recent Presidential Pardons and Prisoner Status
Alexander Lukashenko signed a decree on September 24 pardoning 15 convicted individuals, which included 13 people who had been found guilty of extremist offenses. Ten of the individuals released under this decree were women, though the pardons left the broader population of imprisoned dissidents largely unchanged as ongoing prosecutions continue across multiple regions.