The Vitebsk Regional Court on Wednesday delivered an in absentia verdict in the case against Alena Zhylachkinа (Zhivoglod), Zarina Sorokina, Aleh Davydchyk and Tsimafey Malakhouski, the human rights center Viasna reported.
The activists were convicted under six articles of the Criminal Code: Part 1 of Article 361-1 (creation of an extremist formation), Parts 1 and 2 of Article 368 (insulting Lukashenka), Part 3 of Article 130 (incitement of hatred), Parts 1 and 2 of Article 367 (defamation), Article 369-1 (discrediting Belarus), and Part 3 of Article 361 (calls for sanctions).
According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, members of the Honest People initiative from July 2020 to September 2025 “carried out criminal activities on the territory of Belarus, Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania.”
Zhylochkinа was sentenced to 10 years in a general-regime penal colony and fined 1,500 base units, amounting to 67,500 roubles. Sorokina, Malakhouski and Davydchyk were each sentenced to eight years in prison and fined 900 base units, or 40,500 roubles each.
In addition, the court ordered the activists to pay procedural costs for legal assistance provided by defense lawyers ranging from 735 to 1,017 roubles, as well as procedural costs for expert examinations of 409 roubles per person.
The Honest People initiative was created in 2020 to counter falsification in the presidential election. Its volunteers sought positions on precinct election commissions and served as observers. Together with the Golos and ZUBR.in organizations, Honest People set up online platforms to monitor polling stations and the Golos platform for an independent vote count.
