In May 2023, Belarusian human rights defenders recognized the following women as political prisoners: Viktoryia Haurylina, Anastasiya Dulheru, Alena Mitskevich, Sviatlana Sabaleuskaya, Palina Pachapskaya, Volha Kolas, Palina Savich, Maryia Nekrashevich, Tatsiana Nekrashevich, Zlata Filipienka, Hanna Huzava, Iryna Savich, Sviatlana Kasinskaya, Maryianna Khadasevich, Valeryia Bayarovich, Volha Matskevich, and Tatsiana Radchanka. 

Politically imprisoned lawyer Anastasiya Lazaranka lost her legal defense after her lawyer was made a witness in her case so he could no longer defend her. This happened shortly before the end of the investigation. On May 11, Ms. Lazaranka was sentenced to six years of imprisonment for “leaking the personal data of law enforcers and judges” to the Black Book of Belarus project and for participation in peaceful protests in August 2020. 

Political prisoner Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk was reported to have been held in different types of punishment cells for a total of 180 days over the past 10 months. As of May, she was reportedly held in a punitive isolation cell again. In protest against torture, Ms. Sharenda-Panasiuk said she was renouncing her Belarusian citizenship. 

A mother of a three-year-old child on childcare leave was detained in Mahiliou over following “extremist” channels and commenting on their posts. A criminal case has been initiated against her. 

Political prisoner Viktoryia Kulsha was transferred to a pre-trial detention center. On April 7, Ms. Kulsha was sentenced to an additional year in prison on top of the initial 3.5 years after being convicted of “malicious disobedience to the lawful demands of the prison administration.” Ms. Kulsha will wait for the appellate process in the pre-trial detention center in Homiel. 

In the small town of Dokshytsy, elementary school teacher Maryna Korda was detained right during the lesson, reportedly for her likes on social media. 

Human rights defenders received reports that on May 5, employees of a radio station in Homiel were detained right at their workplaces. The detained people included presenters Zhanna Minina and Anastasiya Hrytsenka. The trials were held the next day, but the verdicts have not been reported yet. 

It was reported that back in March, Senior Lecturer at Minsk State Linguistic University Natallia Zhloba was arrested on political grounds. She worked at the Department of Foreign Literature of the Faculty of English. 

Tatsiana Makliatsova, Associate Professor at the Design Department of Vitebsk State Technological University, was fined 60 base values (about 640 euros) for following “extremist” resources and having a frame quoting a line from a classic Belarusian poem on her profile picture on a social network. The police found the white-red-white design of the frame a “violation.” According to the court ruling, Ms. Makliatsova publicly expressed her civil views in this way, which the regime’s law does not allow without a permit from a local authority. 

Valiantsina Bolbat, an activist from Vierkhniadzvinsk, was sentenced to 30 days of administrative arrest. The detention took place on April 30, but for health reasons, Ms. Bolbat was admitted to a hospital. She stood trial after being discharged. Throughout 2022, Ms. Bolbat had been tried three times in administrative cases which all resulted in fines. The woman intended to get a loan to pay the fines but was denied. 

Zhanna Volkava, a resident of Homiel, was detained at school, where she came to meet her child’s teacher. Ms. Volkava was placed in a pre-trial detention center on charges of “incitement to hatred.” 

Aleh Zayats, a transgender man, was detained for participating in peaceful protests. After being held for several weeks in a pre-trial detention center, Mr. Zayats was sent to a mental health institution for evaluation. He is now in a pre-trial detention center in Minsk. Numerous reports show that LGBTQ people are subjected to greater pressure in places of detention. 

In May, the following political prisoners were released: Liudmila Kirylenka, having served a year and a half in prison, Maryia Nestserava, having served two years and seven months in prison, Yanina Malash, after a year and a half in prison, and Iryna Pryhava, having served a year and a half in prison.  

Valeryia Mashok was sentenced to two years of home confinement for her participation in peaceful protests in the fall of 2020. She was identified on footage from the rallies.

Alena Anisim, former MP and ex-chairwoman of the Belarusian Language Society liquidated in 2021, was detained at her workplace at the National Academy of Sciences. Ms. Anisim was sentenced to 12 days of administrative arrest for what the prosecution called “petty hooliganism.” 

Singer Patricyia Svitsina, who publicly rejected the presidential scholarship in 2020, was detained on charges of participation in peaceful protests in 2020. 

In Navapolatsk, Vitsyebsk region, the Central City Hospital saw mass detentions of its doctors. Doctor Ala Stalmakova was fined 100 base values (about 920 euros), while emergency technician Natallia Pervianionak and head of the gynecology department Iryna Vasillieva were sentenced to 10 days of administrative arrest each. It should be noted that this hospital had previously treated former presidential candidate, political prisoner Viktar Babaryka, who was admitted from prison. 

Reports have been coming of ongoing pressure on political prisoner Maryia Kalesnikava. Ms. Kalesnikava was reported to have health issues, which is why she cannot work. Recently she has been kept in solitary confinement and faced numerous provocations. Someone put pills into her jar of coffee while she was in the sanitary unit. When the cell was searched, the political prisoner was sent to a punitive isolation cell over those pills. 

Hanna Karneyenka was sentenced to five years in prison on charges of “illegal actions regarding information about private life and personal data” and “incitement to hatred”. 

A woman was fined 750 euros for white-red-white Christmas tree balls, which could be seen in her photo posted on the Odnoklassniki social network. 

In Polatsk and Navapolatsk, Vitsyebsk region, several lecturers of the Polatsk State University were detained and stood trial. Alena Khramtsova, a teacher at the Department of World Literature and Foreign Languages, was sentenced to 10 days of administrative arrest for following a Telegram channel recognized as extremist in Belarus. Palina Putro was also fined 20 base values (about 200 euros) for the same “offense”, while an employee of the dean’s office, Katsiaryna Shvalyuha, was fined 30 base values (about 300 euros), and Kseniya Zuyeva 60 base values (about 640 euros). Halina Zakharkina, a 76-year-old candidate of architecture and former head of the PSU Department of Architecture, was fined 80 base values (about 855 euros). 73-year-old Halina Sharahlazava, Ph.D. in Engineering and Associate Professor at the Department of Geodesy and Geoinformation Systems, was sentenced to 10 days of administrative arrest. 

Alina Horava was sentenced to a year of home confinement for participation in peaceful protests in 2020. 

Ministry of Justice revoked lawyer Sviatlana Yakushava’s bar license.