In March, the Viasna Human Rights Center recognized Volha Barushka, Natallia Piatrovich, Katsiaryna Kalybenka, Iryna Savashynskaya, Volha Hladkaya, Natallia Sialiakh, Aliaksandra Kasko, and Kseniya Alkenava as political prisoners. 

Human rights activists were informed of the detention of Volha Lesavik, a mother of 3. She had been detained in Minsk on February 23 on charges of participation in peaceful protests in 2020. 

Political prisoner Yauheniya Staravoitava was sentenced to two and a half years of restricted freedom under home confinement. Staravoitava had first been detained in November 2022 and arrested for 13 days. After serving the arrest, she was charged with “insulting the authorities” and “actions violating public order” and remained in prison.  

Sviatlana Stukava was sentenced to 15 days of administrative arrest for following BYSOL on social media. BYSOL is a solidarity foundation that helps those affected by repression. The regime has recognized it as an extremist “extremist formation,” and its accounts in social media as “extremist materials.” 

Viktoryia Kachan, 38, was detained on charges of “slander” against the government. After refusing to record a video repenting of her “crime,” she faced pressure from the penal establishment’s administration: Kachan was denied a mattress and bedding, was forbidden to sit in the daytime, and was frequently woken up at night. Viktoryia Kachan has three children, the youngest of whom is 4. 

It was reported that back in February, Sviatlana Shafranskaya and her husband had been convicted of “organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order or active participation in them” and sentenced to two and a half years in prison.  

Natallia Halavashchanka, a mother of two minor children, was sentenced to two years of restricted freedom under home confinement for participating in peaceful protests in 2020. The woman was identified in a picture from the rally, which she had posted on Instagram. 

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the president-elect of Belarus, was tried “in absentia” for “conspiracy to seize power” and “high treason” and sentenced to 15 years in prison. 

Head of “A Country to Live in” foundation Maryia Maroz and politician Volha Kavalkova were each sentenced “in absentia” to 12 years in prison for “conspiracy to seize power.” 

Natallia Pauliuchenka, 62, was sentenced to two years of restricted freedom under home confinement for, as the law enforcement called it, her “impatient desire for Lukashenka’s imminent death.” This is how they interpreted Pauliuchenka’s comment in the social network Odnoklassniki. The comment was recognized as a deliberate public insult to Lukashenka. 

Natallia Dulina, a former associate professor at Minsk State Linguistic University, was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for  “organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order or active participation in them.” Prior to the arrest, Dulina had served four administrative arrests within one year. 

Alena Zubarava was detained over following “destructive” Telegram channels. It took five law enforcers in full uniform to detain her. 

Oksana Zaretskaya, an etiquette expert and member of the Coordination Council, was given a year and a half in prison for “actions that grossly violate public order.” Zaretskaya was reported to have been hospitalized later. No information about her condition has been released yet. 

Mass detentions of psychotherapists and psychologists took place in Belarus. During interrogations, they were demanded to report “unreliable” patients, violating the law on medical secrecy. 

Valeryia Bayarovich and her husband were detained in Minsk. They face charges of “actions that grossly violate public order” for participation in protests in 2020.  

The law enforcers visited the parents of opera singer Marharyta Liauchuk yet again. Liauchuk had left Belarus, where she is wanted by the regime’s law enforcement agencies.  

Natallia Martusevich, Ph.D. in Biology, was detained in Mahiliou. The law enforcement officers threatened her with criminal charges for following channels recognized as extremist. 

It has been several months since a lawyer was able to visit political prisoner Alena Lazarchyk. Sentenced to 8 years in prison on four articles of the Criminal Code, she has been kept incommunicado. 

Entrepreneur Katsiaryna Shust was detained in Hrodna. The law enforcers forced her to record a video where she confessed to sharing “extremist” materials on her social media accounts. Shust was sentenced to 10 days of administrative arrest. 

Political prisoners Valeryia Kastsiuhova and researcher Tatsiana Kuzina were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment each. They had been tried under three articles of the Criminal Code of Belarus: complicity in actions aimed at seizing power, calls for actions aimed at harming national security, and incitement to hatred. 

The verdict in the case against the TUT.BY media holding was announced. Former editor-in-chief Maryna Zolatava and former CEO Liudmila Chekina were sentenced to 12 years in prison each. They were tried under three articles of the Criminal Code, including alleged tax evasion. 

Volha Kraiko was sentenced to 2.5 years of restricted freedom under home confinement for participation in the protests in 2020. She was convicted along with her sons, members of the Belarusian band Litesound, and her husband. 

Trials continue in Zhlobin against those who took part in the 2020 peaceful protests. Tatsiana Dzemchanka was sentenced to one year of restricted freedom under home confinement. Anastasiya Tatarynava was on trial too but her verdict has not been reported in the media yet. Maryna Liakhnovich was sentenced to one and a half years of restricted freedom under home confinement. 

Lawyer Inesa Alenskaya was disbarred and tried for the distribution of extremist materials. The verdict is unknown yet. Alenskaya used to defend political prisoners, including human rights activist Nasta Loika.  

Civil activist Halina Smirnova was detained in Babruisk after her home was searched. She is being accused of participating in peaceful protests in 2020. 

On Freedom Day, an unofficial holiday marked on March 25 on the occasion of the historical proclamation of Belarusan independence, 76-year-old activist Nina Bahinskaya was detained. She was released from the police station only late in the evening. Bahinskaya is known for her pickets with the national white-red-white flag. 

Liudmila Bazhok, 63, was sentenced to two years of restricted freedom under home confinement for taking part in protests in 2020. 

Halina Soltan was detained with her husband over participation in the protests in 2020. A criminal case might have been initiated against them but no such reports have been released yet. 

Former director of the Polatsk Historical Reserve Tamara Dzhumantayeva was detained. She is charged with the distribution of extremist materials. 

Tatsiana Kurylina, who was lured to return to Belarus under the regime’s “Way Home” program, was sentenced to 4.5 years of imprisonment. In addition, she was fined 100 base values (3,700 Belarusian rubles or about 1,300 euros) and demanded to pay damages to the victims totaling 23,500 Belarusian rubles (about 8,400 euros). 

Viktoria Varaksina, 25, was detained in Kobryn. According to law enforcers, Varaksina used to administrate protest-related chats in Telegram. 

Varavara Miadzvedzeva stood trial. She had been detained with her husband upon returning from Poland to Belarus. They were accused of participation in protests in 2020, activism in the Belarusian diaspora, and online comments criticizing Lukashenka’s regime. The verdict is unknown yet.