Former Military Academy Instructor Recognized as Political Prisoner

Reform.news Editorial Team · 30 October 2026, 18:16

https://reform.news/en/former-military-academy-instructor-recognized-as-political-prisoner/

Belarusian human rights defenders have recognized six more people as political prisoners. They are Ivan Balashenka, Tatsiana Pytko, Aliaksandr Baranau, Aliaksandr Radzyuk, Ruslan Tupik and Yauhen Zharykau, the Viasna Human Rights Center reports.

Ivan Balashenka is a former lieutenant colonel who worked at the Military Academy. He left the service after 2021 and subsequently worked as a taxi driver. Before joining the Military Academy, he served in the 103rd Separate Guards Airborne Brigade of the Special Operations Forces. He was tried in the BYPOL case on eight charges, including high treason. Balashenka was sentenced to 25 years in a penal colony.