“Remains in Penal Colony No. 8” – Reports of Eduard Babaryka’s Transfer to a Prison Regime Unconfirmed

Reform.news Editorial Team · 6 November 2026, 14:34

https://reform.news/en/remains-in-penal-colony-no-8-reports-of-eduard-babaryka-s-transfer-to-a-prison-regime-unconfirmed/

Political prisoner Eduard Babaryka is likely still being held in Penal Colony No. 8. Another source told the Viasna Human Rights Center “Viasna”. Earlier, human rights activists, citing a former political prisoner, reported that Babaryka had been transferred to a prison regime at Hrodna Prison No. 1 at the end of May 2026.

However, after this information was published, another source told Viasna that Babaryka was still being held in Penal Colony No. 8.

Eduard Babaryka has been in detention for almost six and a half years. In July 2023, he was sentenced to eight years in prison after being found guilty under three articles of the Criminal Code. However, the sentence did not include the one and a half years he had spent in the KGB detention centre under the original charges.

Initially, the political prisoner served his sentence at Penal Colony No. 2 in Babruysk. According to human rights activists, he was constantly subjected to pressure from the administration there.

In July 2024, the first trial was held under the article on “malicious disobedience” to the colony administration. Judge Pavel Kartsinin sentenced Babaryka to an additional two years in prison. After his appeal was considered, he was transferred to Strict-Regime Penal Colony No. 11 in Vaukavysk.

Five months later, the administration of that colony initiated a second criminal case against Babaryka under the same article. Human rights activists do not know the outcome of the trial. After the hearing, the political prisoner was transferred to Penal Colony No. 8.