Graty: Sixteen Ukrainians face politically motivated persecution in Belarus
At least 16 Ukrainian citizens have faced politically motivated persecution in Belarus.
Censor.NET reported this, citing information provided by Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry as of August 22 in response to a request from Graty and Euroradio.
What Ukrainians are accused of
Ukrainian citizens in Belarus are often accused of espionage, intelligence activities, attempted sabotage, and persecuted for participation in the 2020–2021 protests.
For example, Nataliia Yaroshenko from Chernihiv spent nearly five months in a temporary detention facility in Homel without trial before being deported to Ukraine.
She was detained together with her sister, Liudmyla Honcharenko, who was later sentenced to three years for "intelligence activities." Honcharenko was released in June 2024 as part of a prisoner exchange.
Both women were recognized as political prisoners by the Belarusian human rights center Viasna.
