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The statement on the recognition of Valery Pazniakievič and eight other people as political prisoners

Last update: 23 December 2025
The statement on the recognition of Valery Pazniakievič and eight other people as political prisoners

Joint statement by the Belarusian human rights community

December 22, 2025

The Belarusian human rights community notes new cases of convictions and imprisonments of the country’s citizens under several articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus related to defamation and desecration of state symbols of the Republic of Belarus, and for other actions aimed at the lawful exercise of the freedom of expression.

We demand to put an end to the persecution of legitimate expression of views and, reaffirming our repeated calls to decriminalize defamation and to refrain from imposing custodial sentences for insulting officials, the state, government agencies, and symbols (as mentioned in the Joint statement of December 22, 2020), note the following:

We have received information about the following persons imprisoned for insulting A. Lukashenka and other forms of peaceful exercise of freedom of opinion:

  1. Ihar Čarpakoŭ, sentenced to imprisonment under Article 368 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka;
  2. Valery Pazniakievič, sentenced to imprisonment under Article 368 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka;
  3. Raman Kancavy, sentenced to imprisonment under articles 368 and 369 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka and an official;
  4. Valery Sacharčuk, sentenced to imprisonment under Article 368 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka;
  5. Uładzimir Isajeŭ, sentenced to imprisonment under articles 361 and 368 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka and “calling for actions aimed at harming the national security of the Republic of Belarus”;
  6. Vadzim Syčuhoŭ, sentenced to imprisonment under articles 368, 369, and 370 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenko and an official and desecrating state symbols;
  7. Jaŭhien Sićko, sentenced to imprisonment under Article 368 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka;
  8. Uładzimir Leasievič, sentenced to imprisonment under Article 368 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka;
  9. Dzianis Piatkievič, sentenced to imprisonment under Article 361 of the Criminal Code on the charge of “calling for actions aimed at harming the national security of the Republic of Belarus”.

We consider the persecution and imprisonment of the named individuals to be politically motivated, related to the peaceful exercise of expressing thoughts, and consider them political prisoners in accordance with paragraph 3.1(a) of the Guidelines on the Definition of Political Prisoners. We demand from the Belarusian authorities:

  • Immediately release political prisoners Ihar Čarpakoŭ, Valery Pazniakievič, Raman Kancavy, Valery Sacharčuk, Uładzimir Isajeŭ, Vadzim Syčuhoŭ, Jaŭhien Sićko, Uładzimir Leasievič, and Dzianis Piatkievič, and stop criminal prosecution against them.
  • Take measures aimed at decriminalizing defamation offenses and repealing articles of the Criminal Code that provide for liability for insulting the State, state symbols and officials, namely, articles 188, 189, 361, 367, 368, 369, 369-1, 370, and 391 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus, and to terminate all criminal cases previously initiated under these articles.
  • Immediately release all political prisoners and stop political repression.

Human Rights Center “Viasna”;

Respect-Protect-Fulfill;

Legal initiative;

Barys Zvozskau Belarusian Human Rights House;

PEN Belarus;

Lawtrend.