Belarusian Investigative Committee Opens Special Proceedings Against Defendants in the “Yard Chats” Case

Reform.news Editorial Team · 21 October 2026, 16:29

https://reform.news/en/belarusian-investigative-committee-opens-special-proceedings-against-defendants-in-the-yard-chats-case/

On October 21, the Investigative Committee of Belarus opened special proceedings against nine people accused of conspiring to seize state power and participating in an extremist formation. They are charged under Part 1 of Article 357 and Part 3 of Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code.

Special proceedings have been opened against Stanislau Batvin, Natallia Huzhova, Kastus Kirylenka, Ihar Likhach, Volha Niakhaichyk, Lizaveta Plitnik, Andrei Pupkevich, Iryna Trafimik and Ivan Omelyan.

All those charged are being asked to appear at the central office of the Investigative Committee in Minsk.

At the end of October 2024, Belarus saw a large-scale wave of detentions in the courtyard chats case. These local Telegram communities emerged after the 2020 protests. Criminal cases were opened against dozens of people under articles concerning conspiracy to seize power and participation in an extremist formation.

On October 29, 2024, the Belarusian KGB designated the “Order” yard chat coalition an “extremist formation”. According to the agency, it comprised local communities of residents from various districts and neighbourhoods, including “Zlye Kogtiki”, “Sukharava”, “Senitsa 2.0”, “Solidarity”, “Volnyya Vauki”, “Navahrudskiya Partyzany”, “VILIA” and “Skromnye Matreshki”, as well as the organisation “Neighbours”.

In November 2024, Ivan Omelyan, Stanislau Batvin, Volha Niakhaichyk, Natallia Huzhova, Kastus Kirylenka and Lizaveta Plitnik were added to the list of participants in this formation. The names of Ihar Likhach, Iryna Trafimik and Andrei Pupkevich were not mentioned in connection with “Order”.