At Least 27 Minors Have Become Defendants in Politically Motivated Criminal Cases

Human rights defenders know of at least 27 minors who have become defendants in politically motivated criminal cases in Belarus. Four of them are currently imprisoned, the human rights centre reports.

According to data from the Supreme Court, 40 minors were convicted under political charges in 2025. Of these, 16 were tried under the article on participation in actions that grossly violate public order. Six people were convicted of facilitating “extremist activity”, while five were sentenced under the article on incitement of hatred. Minors were also prosecuted on charges including an act of terrorism, insulting Lukashenka and desecrating state symbols.

In 2024, seven people were detained in the “Black Nightingales case”, including four minors: Ukrainian citizen Maryia Misiuk, as well as Dzmitry Zakharoshka, Trafim Barysau and Aliaksandra Pulinovich.

Misiuk was released and transferred to Ukraine in November 2025. Human rights defenders are aware of details concerning only one of those who remain imprisoned — Aliaksandra Pulinovich. She was 16 years old at the time of her detention and was studying in the final year of a Minsk school. While in detention, she continued her education and took the centralized examinations.

Yelisei Kuzniatsou is another person detained while still a minor who is currently imprisoned. In 2020, he was accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail at a police vehicle. A court sentenced him to 2.5 years of restricted freedom under home confinement. In 2022, Kuzniatsou was sent to a penal colony for violating the conditions of his sentence. He was released at the end of 2022, but in 2024 he was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison on charges of desecrating state symbols. In December 2024, his prison term was extended by one year under an article covering persistent disobedience to the administration of a penal colony.