In June, Belarusian human rights defenders recognized the following women as political prisoners: Yuliya Kastsiuchenka, Volha Ivanchanka, Aksana Yuryeva, Natallia Matsveyeva, Anastasiya Peryanovich, Maryia Kaminskaya, Aleh (Volha) Zayats, Aksana Lakoza, Hanna Karniayenka, Tatsiana Pytsko, Patrytsyia Svitsina, and Anastasiya Serhienia.

The human rights community recorded at least 395 detentions and 243 cases of politically motivated administrative prosecution in May, which resulted in at least 82 administrative arrests and 48 fines. More than a third of all detainees were women. 

Writer Yana Tsehla was sentenced to two years of restricted freedom under home confinement for her participation in the peaceful protests in Belarus in 2020.  

Alena Anisim, a former Member of Parliament in Belarus and the former Chairwoman of the Belarusian Language Society, was released after 12 days of administrative arrest for “petty hooliganism”. During the arrest, Ms. Anisim was fired from the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. 

Political prisoner Aksana Zaretskaya was reported to have been in a coma. After the announcement of the verdict, Ms. Zaretskaya felt ill and was admitted to a hospital. The woman was in a coma for at least three days, after which she was returned to the pre-trial detention center in Minsk where doctors did not provide her with medical care. Ms. Zaretskaya is a culture expert and a member of the Coordination Council, created by pro-democratic politicians. She was sentenced to a year and a half in prison for “organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order or active participation in them”.  

That same article of the Criminal Code is often used for political persecution. In May, Tatsiana Radchanka was sentenced to two years of and Katsiaryna Novikava to three years of home confinement. 

Two women were released in May after serving their sentences in full: 
– Iryna Harashyna. She had been sentenced to two years in prison for her comments in a Telegram channel recognized as extremist. 
– Volha Kukushkina. She had been sentenced to one and a half years in prison for “insulting the president and representatives of the authorities”. An image was found in Ms. Kukushkina’s smartphone where Lukashenka and representatives of the authorities were photoshopped in Nazi uniforms. 

The administrator of the community “Belarusian Prison” in the social network VK was arrested for 10 days. The woman had the nickname “Alena Alenkina.” She was convicted of “propaganda of a criminal lifestyle” and sharing information from Telegram channels recognized as extremist. It is worth noting that the community spoke negatively about the democratic opposition and Belarusian human rights defenders and was affiliated with a propaganda media outlet associated with the regime.  

Political prisoner Yana Pinchuk, who had been extradited from Russia, was sentenced to 12 years in prison. In August 2022, she was transferred from Russia to Belarus, despite the ban on extradition by the UN Human Rights Committee. Ms. Pinchuk was charged with “establishment or leadership of a terrorist organization”. 
 
It was reported that the health of political prisoner Kseniya Lutskina has deteriorated. Earlier this year, Ms. Lutskina fell ill with bilateral pneumonia, she was also diagnosed with cancer and has not been properly examined.  

In May, the regime had arrested and convicted a number of doctors working in Navapolatsk hospital. In June they all were reported to have been dismissed for truancy. Among them were head of the gynecology department Iryna Vasillieva, ambulance paramedic Natallia Pervenenok, who were sentenced to 10 days each, and hospital assistant Ala Stalmakova was fined. The detentions and trials took place after reports came from the hospital that former presidential contender and political prisoner Viktar Babaryka was admitted there from the prison. 
 
It became known that in 2022, the leader of the BSU National Student Choir Volha Miniankova was detained for refusing to perform in Russia-occupied Donbas. The regime’s security forces released a forced confession video with Ms. Miniankova, but it has not been reported whether an administrative case was intiated. 

Aksana Lakoza was sentenced to a year and a half in prison for participation in the peaceful protests in Belarus.  

Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk, a politically imprisoned activist, who, as a sign of protest against torture, announced her renunciation of Belarusian citizenship, was sent to a psychiatric clinic in Navinki, Minsk. 

Sofia Sapega was released on pardon. Ms. Sapega had been detained on May 23, 2021, along with Raman Pratasevich, when Aliaksandr Lukashenka ordered to land the Ryanair plane in Minsk, on which the couple was flying. Later, Ms. Sapega was sentenced to 6 years in prison. 

Tatsiana Pytsko was detained and charged with a criminal case under the article “Establishment of an extremist organization or participation in it”. Ms. Pytsko’s husband is a political prisoner. Their youngest daughter recently turned one year old. After the woman’s detention, her daughter was sent to a children’s hospital due to the absence of close relatives or guardians. 

 At the initiative of the Prosecutor’s Office, a mobile court session was held at Baranavichy State University, where 18-year-old student Alina Koval was sentenced to two years of restricted freedom under home confinement for insulting Lukashenka. The court used her comment in a social network as proof of her “crime”. 
 
Aliaksandra Khomchanka was sentenced to a year of imprisonment for reposting a publication with an image of “Lukashenka’s gravestone”. 

Employees of the TV channel “Ranak” were detained. Among them were marketing manager Maryna Bychkouskaya, chief accountant Alena Kisialiova, secretary Krystsina Kazialkova. Hanna Zgurskaya and Lizaveta Shavialenka were also detained but released after a protocol was drawn up, possibly due to pregnancy and disability respectively. 

Natallia Mitsko was sentenced to 12 days of arrest. The law enforcers found an image of Pahonia, the national Belarusian emblem, in Ms. Mitsko’s phone. 5 days were for “distribution of extremist materials” in social networks, 7 days for “picketing” on the Internet.  

Human rights activist Nasta Loika was sentenced to seven years in prison. She was charged with “incitement of social hostility.” The reason for the criminal case was Ms. Loika’s 2017 report “Persecution of anarchists, anti-fascists, leftist and social activists in Belarus”. 
 
Liudmila Paulouskaya, who suffers from epilepsy, was detained again. She has been detained at least 4 times since the beginning of 2020. During one of the detentions, Ms. Paulouskaya had a seizure, but the police refused to call her an ambulance. The reason for the recent detention is unknown, the woman was released shortly afterwards. 
 
Alena Sharabaika was fined an equivalent of 750 euros for “unauthorized picketing.” Representatives of the law enforcement agencies found a photo of her with her husband near a house with a white-red-white flag. Ms. Sharabaika’s husband is a political prisoner. This is the second large fine the woman has received this year. 

21-year-old Alina Horava was detained again. On May 30, she was sentenced to a year of restricted freedom under home confinement. This time she is incriminated with another episode of participation in a peaceful rally in Minsk in 2020.  

Alesia Fryhina, a mother of 4 minor children, was detained in the town of Kruhlaye, Mahiliou region. She was charged with a criminal case for participation in peaceful protests in 2020. 

Anastasiya Petrachenka was sentenced to three years in prison for donating money to the Belarusian volunteer fighters of the Kastus Kalinouski regiment in Ukraine. 

It became known that back in May, Sviatlana Bychkouskaya was convicted and sentenced to five and a half years in prison within the “case of the Black Book of Belarus.” The Black Book of Belarus is an initiative that collects the personal data of the regime representatives involved in repression. Ms. Bychkouskaya was tried under four articles of the Criminal Code, including “Abuse of power” and “Incitement of other social  hostility” for reportedly “leaking the personal data of law enforcers.” 

A woman from the town of Orsha, Vitsebsk region, was arrested for having a mug with an image of the Pahonia national Belarusan emblem. She had bought the mug in a regular store and did not expect it to be considered an offense. The woman used the mug at her workplace at the Orsha Linen Mill. Apparently, someone photographed her with the mug, which was the reason for the arrest. 
  

Yanina Martsulevich was fined 320 euros for “distributing extremist materials.” The reason was the information shared in her social networks, which falls under the category of “extremist materials” in Belarus. 
 
Politically imprisoned lawyer Natallia Lashch was sentenced to 6 years in prison as part of the “case of the Black Book of Belarus.”

Tatsiana Yankouskaya was sentenced to two years of restricted freedom under home confinement for participation in peaceful protests in 2020 in Belarus. 
 
Natallia Hubina was also sentenced to one year of home confinement for participation in peaceful protests in 2020. 

Tatsiana Kandratskaya was fined 120 base values (about 1,300 euros) for her posts on social media and “picketing.” The reason was images of the Ukrainian flag and reposts from resources recognized as “extremist.”