Political prisoner Mikita Yemialiyanau, arrested in 2019 at the age of 19, has been released

Mikita Yemialiyanau: archival photo from 2019

Mikita Yemialiyanau, now 26, is a Belarusian anarchist activist who was detained on October 20, 2019, after he and another anarchist, Ivan Komar, threw a Molotov cocktail at the pre-trial detention center on Valadarka street. He was charged under several articles of the Criminal Code, including for property damage, desecration of buildings, and illegal actions with weapons.

As a result, on February 12, 2020, the court sentenced him to 7 years in a reinforced-regime penal colony. After an appeal, the term was reduced to 4 years.

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Mikita Yemialiyanau in court, 2020

Later, the conditions of the political prisoner's detention significantly worsened: in 2021, he was transferred to a prison regime and convoyed to Mogilev prison No. 4. There, he was repeatedly subjected to disciplinary penalties — he was often placed in a punishment cell (SHIZA) for extended periods.

The reasons for the punishments were often cited as violations of internal rules, for example, refusal to clean the territory or other minor infractions. Yemialiyanau himself claimed that some demands were unfair. In protest, he went on hunger strike several times, including a prolonged dry hunger strike.

In prison, his contact with relatives was limited: letters were not delivered, parcels were confiscated, and visits were denied. It was also reported that he was not even given drawings from his younger brother. In addition, the administration refused to accept his complaints.

At the end of 2021, a new criminal case was initiated against Yemialiyanau for "malicious disobedience to the administration." On March 9, 2022, the court added another prison term — 2 years, and cumulatively — 3.5 years of strict regime imprisonment.

In the following years, Yemialiyanau continued to serve his sentence, regularly ending up in SHIZA and other isolation cells. In total, he spent over five months in the punishment cell.

Later, he was transferred between various institutions, including a penal colony in Vawkavysk and a prison in Hrodna. In January 2025, he was again convicted under the same article for disobedience, and his prison term was increased — the young man received an additional year.

During his time in detention, Mikita Yemialiyanau's health deteriorated: he began to lose his eyesight, and also did not receive necessary medical supplies and vitamins. According to information, the last years of his detention were particularly difficult due to strict conditions and isolation.

On May 2, 2026, Mikita Yemialiyanau was released early. The circumstances of his release are not yet known.

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Mikita Yemialiyanau after his release. Photo: Dissident.by

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