At least 12 citizens of Ukraine are being held in prisons in Belarus, detained on charges of ‘espionage’ and ‘agent activity’. This was reported by the Belarusian Human Rights Centre ‘Viasna’. According to the centre, since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine, the Belarusian authorities have stepped up repression against Ukrainians, who are now being thoroughly interrogated and checked at the border, and accused of collaborating with Ukrainian special services.
According to human rights activists, the detainees include Vyacheslav Borodiy, who is being tried for ‘agent activity’ in a closed regime, and Ivan Likhalat, who is charged with a ‘terrorist act’. Another Ukrainian, Yuriy Bondarenko, was sentenced to 1.5 years in prison for insulting Lukashenko, and Artem Makovey was sentenced to 6 years in prison on espionage charges.
Other detainees include Serhiy and Pavel Kabarchuk, who were sentenced to 20 years in prison for allegedly preparing explosions in Belarus and Russia, and Andriy Shmay, who is accused of espionage and whose trial is being held behind closed doors. Other Ukrainians have also been detained, including Dmytro Gudyk and Oleksandr Kotovych, who have been sentenced to prison under various articles.
In total, about 1,300 political prisoners, including Ukrainian citizens, are currently being held in Belarus, human rights activists conclude.
