At least 13 people released in February having served their sentences, and three more pardoned

Now 1219 people are recognized as political prisoners, and their number is increasing almost weekly. At the same time, every month several dozen political prisoners leave their places of detention either after the expiration of the sentence or after the trial before being sent to an open-type correctional facility or to serve time in home confinement. According to Viasna human rights activists, at least 1,450 people have left penal facilities since 2020. At least 16 people were released in February: 13 served their sentences in full, and three more political prisoners were pardoned by Lukashenka and left Belarus. What political prisoners served their sentences for and how many of them were imprisoned, Viasna recalls their cases. 

We publish the stories of some of them.

Artist Henadz Drazdou, imprisoned for more than 2 years and 6 months 

The artist and former head of a creative association Pahonia was detained in mid-August 2022. The court sentenced him to 15 days of detention, but he was never released. A criminal case had been initiated against Henadz for "active participation in protest actions " in 2020 and for "facilitating extremist activities". In the spring of 2023, he was sentenced to three years of imprisonment.

The man served his sentence in Škloŭ penal colony No. 17. According to human rights activists, he was released at the end of February 2025. It is known that in the winter of 2023, Henadz was placed in a punitive isolation cell (SHIZO). The artist suffered two strokes behind bars.

Aliaksandr Pashkevich, imprisoned for more than 2 years and 7 months

The political prisoner was detained on January 20, 2022, as part of a criminal case "on group actions grossly violating public order".

On April 15, 2022, a verdict was handed down: Aliaksandr was found guilty and sentenced to three years of restriction of freedom with a referral to an open-type correctional facility. The man was released in the courtroom before being sent to the open-type correctional facility. On July 9, 2022, Aliaksandr began serving his sentence in the Mazyr open-type correctional facility No. 21. According to human rights activists, he was released at the end of February.

Andrei Kandrasiuk, imprisoned for more than 3 years and 9 months 

The Brest resident was accused of "participating in mass riots" for protest actions in Brest on August 9–10, 2020. 

On August 10, during a protest rally, Andrei was severely beaten by riot police. He wanted to take a woman away from the riot police, after which seven policemen grabbed him and severely beat him. An ambulance was called to the police department, as Andrei was covered in blood. He was taken to the hospital: he had a head injury and bruises all over his body, and stitches were applied. A statement was filed with the Investigative Committee to initiate a criminal case regarding the beating of Kandrasiuk. This case was never initiated, but Andrei himself was prosecuted at the end of 2020 for "participating in mass riots."

In April 2021, he was detained and placed in custody. Four months later, he was sentenced to 4 years of imprisonment. According to human rights activists, the political prisoner was released from penal colony No. 15 on February 2.

Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk, imprisoned for more than 4 years

Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk and Natallia Radzina at a press conference

Palina is a public activist from Brest, who was detained on January 3, 2021. At first, the woman was sentenced to two years of imprisonment under several criminal articles. Later, her sentence was extended three times under Article 411 of the Criminal Code (malicious disobedience to the requirements of the administration of a correctional institution). In July 2024, Palina's relatives learned that the woman had been diagnosed with "chronic pancreatitis of moderate severity." 

On February 1, the political prisoner was released, and a few days later she was evacuated from Belarus.

A pardon with the assistance of the United States 

Alena Maushuk after her release. Photo from Franak Viačorka's Telegram channel

On the evening of February 12, it became known that three political prisoners: Radio Svaboda journalist Andrei Kuznechyk, mother of many children from Pinsk Alena Maushuk, and US citizen Mikalai Shuhayeu were released. On the day of their release, they left Belarus and are now safe. The release was made possible thanks to the assistance of the United States. The Secretary of State called on the Belarusian regime to release the remaining nearly 1,300 political prisoners who remain behind bars throughout Belarus.

Alena Maushuk was detained on the night of August 10, 2020, in Pinsk as part of a criminal case on "mass riots." According to the charges, the woman allegedly attempted to beat police officers with a stick. She was later sentenced to six years in a penal colony. Her husband, Siarhei Maushuk, was sentenced to 6.5 years in a medium security penal colony; he is held behind bars. Alena was held in Homieĺ penal colony No. 24. The woman noted that she was released on a pardon, which she applied for in July 2024. The condition for her release was her departure from Belarus.

Andrei Kuznechyk, 47, has been behind bars for more than three years. On February 12, he arrived in Vilnius, where he was greeted by his wife and children — five-year-old Matsvei and 11-year-old Yanina. The journalist was sentenced to six years in a penal colony for "participating in an extremist formation" (Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code). He served his term in Navapolack penal colony No. 1.

Mikalai Shuhayeu spent five months behind bars in Belarus. He was detained for distributing "extremist" materials and was sentenced to a total of 60 days of detention. Mikalai called the conditions in the Navapolack detention center "torture-like." After the detentions, Mikalai was transferred to a Minsk pre-trial detention center on a criminal case for insulting Lukashenka in comments on Instagram. During the interrogations, the man was asked if he had ever worked for intelligence or engaged in recruitment. 

On February 12, Mikalai was taken to the border with Lithuania with a bag over his head. He was met there by the staff of the American Embassy. The man is currently undergoing rehabilitation at a medical clinic located at a military base in Texas (USA). During the five months of his imprisonment, "he lost 20 kg, his eyesight, and doctors suspect tuberculosis," Lusterka reported.