The Detained
@thedetained.org
thedetained.org — Documenting political imprisonment. A database tracking 3,000+ cases across Russia, Belarus, and Central Asia. ML-powered analysis of persecution patterns and surveillance technology.
Afgan Sadigov — detained for Journalism in Georgia
Journalist Afgan Sadigov has been arrested in Azerbaijan following his deportation from Georgia. His lawyer claims the arrest is part of a ...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmq8q1fig0007ca41cygiyutg
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Georgia
Journalist Afgan Sadigov has been arrested in Azerbaijan following his deportation from Georgia. His lawyer claims the arrest is part of a ...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmq8q1fig0007ca41cygiyutg
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Georgia
June 11, 2026 at 12:06 AM
Afgan Sadigov — detained for Journalism in Georgia
Journalist Afgan Sadigov has been arrested in Azerbaijan following his deportation from Georgia. His lawyer claims the arrest is part of a ...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmq8q1fig0007ca41cygiyutg
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Georgia
Journalist Afgan Sadigov has been arrested in Azerbaijan following his deportation from Georgia. His lawyer claims the arrest is part of a ...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmq8q1fig0007ca41cygiyutg
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Georgia
Anderson James Scott Rice — sentenced to 19 years for other
Anderson James Scott Rice received a 19-year sentence, including 5 years in a prison facility. He is facing multiple charges includ...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmq4iooy30001cae4e6ppxgk4
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Russia
Anderson James Scott Rice received a 19-year sentence, including 5 years in a prison facility. He is facing multiple charges includ...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmq4iooy30001cae4e6ppxgk4
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Russia
June 8, 2026 at 1:56 AM
Anderson James Scott Rice — sentenced to 19 years for other
Anderson James Scott Rice received a 19-year sentence, including 5 years in a prison facility. He is facing multiple charges includ...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmq4iooy30001cae4e6ppxgk4
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Russia
Anderson James Scott Rice received a 19-year sentence, including 5 years in a prison facility. He is facing multiple charges includ...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmq4iooy30001cae4e6ppxgk4
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Russia
Aleh Huryn was once an investigator for the Belarusian state. Today, he is a prisoner of that same state. A former law enforcement officer from Niasviž, he now serves a three-year sentence for a crime that defines the current crackdown in Belarus.
June 7, 2026 at 2:12 AM
Aleh Huryn was once an investigator for the Belarusian state. Today, he is a prisoner of that same state. A former law enforcement officer from Niasviž, he now serves a three-year sentence for a crime that defines the current crackdown in Belarus.
Artyom Arturovich Basyrov — sentenced to 12.25 years for Activism
Artyom Basyrov was sentenced to over 12 years in prison for attempting to join the 'Freedom of Russia Legion' and subsequent ...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmq12ibk100061vdj0qt41s0f
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Russia
Artyom Basyrov was sentenced to over 12 years in prison for attempting to join the 'Freedom of Russia Legion' and subsequent ...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmq12ibk100061vdj0qt41s0f
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Russia
June 5, 2026 at 3:55 PM
Artyom Arturovich Basyrov — sentenced to 12.25 years for Activism
Artyom Basyrov was sentenced to over 12 years in prison for attempting to join the 'Freedom of Russia Legion' and subsequent ...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmq12ibk100061vdj0qt41s0f
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Russia
Artyom Basyrov was sentenced to over 12 years in prison for attempting to join the 'Freedom of Russia Legion' and subsequent ...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmq12ibk100061vdj0qt41s0f
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Russia
4 years ago today, lawyer Anastasija Lazarenka was arrested in Belarus for her legal profession. She was convicted for allegedly leaking information and participating in 2020 protests.
Sentence: 6 years
https://politicalprisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmmjniles00i51vyakxwh6x2v
Sentence: 6 years
https://politicalprisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmmjniles00i51vyakxwh6x2v
June 2, 2026 at 2:08 AM
4 years ago today, lawyer Anastasija Lazarenka was arrested in Belarus for her legal profession. She was convicted for allegedly leaking information and participating in 2020 protests.
Sentence: 6 years
https://politicalprisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmmjniles00i51vyakxwh6x2v
Sentence: 6 years
https://politicalprisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmmjniles00i51vyakxwh6x2v
Sjarhei Kaczalka — detained for other in Belarus
Sjarhei Kaczalka, originally from Smorgon, was detained in July 2025. He is facing charges of high treason under Article 356 of the Criminal ...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmpvvnej900041vrv8p1auvhn
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Belarus
Sjarhei Kaczalka, originally from Smorgon, was detained in July 2025. He is facing charges of high treason under Article 356 of the Criminal ...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmpvvnej900041vrv8p1auvhn
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Belarus
June 2, 2026 at 12:56 AM
Sjarhei Kaczalka — detained for other in Belarus
Sjarhei Kaczalka, originally from Smorgon, was detained in July 2025. He is facing charges of high treason under Article 356 of the Criminal ...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmpvvnej900041vrv8p1auvhn
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Belarus
Sjarhei Kaczalka, originally from Smorgon, was detained in July 2025. He is facing charges of high treason under Article 356 of the Criminal ...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmpvvnej900041vrv8p1auvhn
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Belarus
Uladzimir Herasimau — detained for other in Belarus
Uladzimir Herasimau was detained on April 28, 2026, in connection with donations related to the war in Ukraine. He is charged under Articl...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmpvvncnm00021vrvwc4pill2
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Belarus
Uladzimir Herasimau was detained on April 28, 2026, in connection with donations related to the war in Ukraine. He is charged under Articl...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmpvvncnm00021vrvwc4pill2
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Belarus
June 2, 2026 at 12:55 AM
Uladzimir Herasimau — detained for other in Belarus
Uladzimir Herasimau was detained on April 28, 2026, in connection with donations related to the war in Ukraine. He is charged under Articl...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmpvvncnm00021vrvwc4pill2
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Belarus
Uladzimir Herasimau was detained on April 28, 2026, in connection with donations related to the war in Ukraine. He is charged under Articl...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmpvvncnm00021vrvwc4pill2
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Belarus
Asylbek ZHAMURATOV — sentenced to 7 years for Activism
A private entrepreneur and member of Alga Kazakhstan accused of sending money transfers to Mukhtar Ablyazov's foreign accounts. The ...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmmcdo63x000w1v3gex8lnwbs
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Kazakhstan
A private entrepreneur and member of Alga Kazakhstan accused of sending money transfers to Mukhtar Ablyazov's foreign accounts. The ...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmmcdo63x000w1v3gex8lnwbs
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Kazakhstan
May 31, 2026 at 5:31 PM
Asylbek ZHAMURATOV — sentenced to 7 years for Activism
A private entrepreneur and member of Alga Kazakhstan accused of sending money transfers to Mukhtar Ablyazov's foreign accounts. The ...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmmcdo63x000w1v3gex8lnwbs
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Kazakhstan
A private entrepreneur and member of Alga Kazakhstan accused of sending money transfers to Mukhtar Ablyazov's foreign accounts. The ...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmmcdo63x000w1v3gex8lnwbs
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Kazakhstan
Daniyar ADILBEKOV — sentenced to 4 years for Journalism
A journalist from Astana who ran a Telegram news channel covering corruption. His charges are linked to his publications on the cha...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmmcdobwk00131v3gpo31rejl
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Kazakhstan
A journalist from Astana who ran a Telegram news channel covering corruption. His charges are linked to his publications on the cha...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmmcdobwk00131v3gpo31rejl
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Kazakhstan
May 30, 2026 at 5:12 PM
Daniyar ADILBEKOV — sentenced to 4 years for Journalism
A journalist from Astana who ran a Telegram news channel covering corruption. His charges are linked to his publications on the cha...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmmcdobwk00131v3gpo31rejl
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Kazakhstan
A journalist from Astana who ran a Telegram news channel covering corruption. His charges are linked to his publications on the cha...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmmcdobwk00131v3gpo31rejl
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Kazakhstan
Temirlan ENSEBEK — detained for Social Media Posts in Kazakhstan
Author of the satirical Instagram blog QazNews24. He was detained after publishing satirical news regarding the leadership...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmmcdohpy001a1v3ga3dgpdt7
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Kazakhstan
Author of the satirical Instagram blog QazNews24. He was detained after publishing satirical news regarding the leadership...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmmcdohpy001a1v3ga3dgpdt7
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Kazakhstan
May 30, 2026 at 5:12 PM
Temirlan ENSEBEK — detained for Social Media Posts in Kazakhstan
Author of the satirical Instagram blog QazNews24. He was detained after publishing satirical news regarding the leadership...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmmcdohpy001a1v3ga3dgpdt7
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Kazakhstan
Author of the satirical Instagram blog QazNews24. He was detained after publishing satirical news regarding the leadership...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmmcdohpy001a1v3ga3dgpdt7
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Kazakhstan
2 years ago today, journalist Farid Mehralizada was arrested in Azerbaijan for his work. He remains imprisoned on retaliatory charges.
https://politicalprisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmp4c9cox00lmcag690a6lizt
#OnThisDay #PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights
https://politicalprisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmp4c9cox00lmcag690a6lizt
#OnThisDay #PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights
May 30, 2026 at 4:32 PM
2 years ago today, journalist Farid Mehralizada was arrested in Azerbaijan for his work. He remains imprisoned on retaliatory charges.
https://politicalprisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmp4c9cox00lmcag690a6lizt
#OnThisDay #PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights
https://politicalprisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmp4c9cox00lmcag690a6lizt
#OnThisDay #PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights
Veronika Belotserkovskaya, a 54-year-old blogger, has been sentenced to nine years in prison. Though she lives abroad, the Russian state has moved to dismantle her life, seizing her property and labeling her a foreign agent for her online presence.
May 30, 2026 at 4:41 AM
Veronika Belotserkovskaya, a 54-year-old blogger, has been sentenced to nine years in prison. Though she lives abroad, the Russian state has moved to dismantle her life, seizing her property and labeling her a foreign agent for her online presence.
Imagine spending years in a penal colony because of what you posted online. This is the reality for Dzmitryi Luhovich, a 33-year-old from Mazyr, Belarus, who has been removed from society for his digital footprint.
May 29, 2026 at 8:52 PM
Imagine spending years in a penal colony because of what you posted online. This is the reality for Dzmitryi Luhovich, a 33-year-old from Mazyr, Belarus, who has been removed from society for his digital footprint.
Our findings show that Belarus relies unusually heavily on financial support cases. Financial support drives 16% of Belarus’s 549 prosecutions with an identified basis—2.0× the global norm of 8%.
Find out more at: politicalprisonerwatch.org/leads
Find out more at: politicalprisonerwatch.org/leads
May 29, 2026 at 12:33 AM
Our findings show that Belarus relies unusually heavily on financial support cases. Financial support drives 16% of Belarus’s 549 prosecutions with an identified basis—2.0× the global norm of 8%.
Find out more at: politicalprisonerwatch.org/leads
Find out more at: politicalprisonerwatch.org/leads
4 years ago today, human rights defender and lawyer Manuchehr Kholiqnazarov was arrested in Tajikistan for his activism. He was sentenced to 16 years.
https://politicalprisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmorrqvo400081v82malfmwua
#OnThisDay #PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights
https://politicalprisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmorrqvo400081v82malfmwua
#OnThisDay #PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights
May 28, 2026 at 3:19 AM
4 years ago today, human rights defender and lawyer Manuchehr Kholiqnazarov was arrested in Tajikistan for his activism. He was sentenced to 16 years.
https://politicalprisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmorrqvo400081v82malfmwua
#OnThisDay #PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights
https://politicalprisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmorrqvo400081v82malfmwua
#OnThisDay #PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights
At 62 years old, Anatol Zmitrovich is behind bars in Belarus. His crime was not violence, but words. He was detained in Minsk on April 22, 2025, and has been sentenced to 10 months in a general-security penal colony.
May 27, 2026 at 3:57 PM
At 62 years old, Anatol Zmitrovich is behind bars in Belarus. His crime was not violence, but words. He was detained in Minsk on April 22, 2025, and has been sentenced to 10 months in a general-security penal colony.
Data analysis of repression patterns in Central Asia reveals a growing trend of targeting multi-dimensional activists. Even when specific arrest details remain obscured, the profile of those at risk is becoming increasingly clear.
May 27, 2026 at 2:23 AM
Data analysis of repression patterns in Central Asia reveals a growing trend of targeting multi-dimensional activists. Even when specific arrest details remain obscured, the profile of those at risk is becoming increasingly clear.
A 59-year-old nurse and caregiver for her elderly mother has been sentenced to 8 years in prison. Olga Sergeevna Menshikh was arrested in Moscow on September 12, 2024, following posts regarding military actions in Bucha and Vinnytsia.
May 26, 2026 at 5:04 PM
A 59-year-old nurse and caregiver for her elderly mother has been sentenced to 8 years in prison. Olga Sergeevna Menshikh was arrested in Moscow on September 12, 2024, following posts regarding military actions in Bucha and Vinnytsia.
3 years ago today, Ukrainian citizen Ablyamet Memetshaev was arrested in Russia. A father of a young child, he was sentenced to 5 years for allegedly participating in an armed formation.
https://politicalprisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmi8bjtfv0058lipf2mhq2h6j
https://politicalprisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmi8bjtfv0058lipf2mhq2h6j
May 23, 2026 at 3:44 AM
3 years ago today, Ukrainian citizen Ablyamet Memetshaev was arrested in Russia. A father of a young child, he was sentenced to 5 years for allegedly participating in an armed formation.
https://politicalprisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmi8bjtfv0058lipf2mhq2h6j
https://politicalprisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmi8bjtfv0058lipf2mhq2h6j
4 years ago today, lawyer Vital Brahinec was arrested in Belarus for his legal work defending political prisoners, including Ales Bialiatski. He was stripped of his license and sentenced to 8 years.
https://politicalprisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmmjnivai00i81vya1l96iz9j
https://politicalprisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmmjnivai00i81vya1l96iz9j
May 23, 2026 at 3:44 AM
4 years ago today, lawyer Vital Brahinec was arrested in Belarus for his legal work defending political prisoners, including Ales Bialiatski. He was stripped of his license and sentenced to 8 years.
https://politicalprisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmmjnivai00i81vya1l96iz9j
https://politicalprisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmmjnivai00i81vya1l96iz9j
Dildora Khakimova — sentenced to 6 years for Activism
Dildora Khakimova is a teacher, blogger, and civil-society activist who publicly criticized corruption in the education system and pr...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmoru6emj000f1vcvvi1431wq
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Uzbekistan
Dildora Khakimova is a teacher, blogger, and civil-society activist who publicly criticized corruption in the education system and pr...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmoru6emj000f1vcvvi1431wq
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Uzbekistan
May 22, 2026 at 1:00 AM
Dildora Khakimova — sentenced to 6 years for Activism
Dildora Khakimova is a teacher, blogger, and civil-society activist who publicly criticized corruption in the education system and pr...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmoru6emj000f1vcvvi1431wq
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Uzbekistan
Dildora Khakimova is a teacher, blogger, and civil-society activist who publicly criticized corruption in the education system and pr...
https://prisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmoru6emj000f1vcvvi1431wq
#PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #Uzbekistan
At 58 years old, entrepreneur and activist Ramilya Galim has been sentenced to 5 years in prison. Her crime was not violence, but a YouTube video urging mobilized soldiers to return home. Her case is a stark example of the tightening grip on dissent in Russia.
May 21, 2026 at 10:05 PM
At 58 years old, entrepreneur and activist Ramilya Galim has been sentenced to 5 years in prison. Her crime was not violence, but a YouTube video urging mobilized soldiers to return home. Her case is a stark example of the tightening grip on dissent in Russia.
Alina Szaucova is a 22-year-old student from Minsk who was sentenced to three years in a general regime colony. Her crime was not violence, but participation in a leadership program that the state has deemed a threat to national security.
May 21, 2026 at 3:39 AM
Alina Szaucova is a 22-year-old student from Minsk who was sentenced to three years in a general regime colony. Her crime was not violence, but participation in a leadership program that the state has deemed a threat to national security.
A 24-year-old father has been stripped of his freedom in the Kherson region. Ablyamet Alievich Memetshaev, an agricultural worker and father of a young child, was sentenced to 5 years in prison following his arrest on May 23, 2023.
May 20, 2026 at 8:33 PM
A 24-year-old father has been stripped of his freedom in the Kherson region. Ablyamet Alievich Memetshaev, an agricultural worker and father of a young child, was sentenced to 5 years in prison following his arrest on May 23, 2023.
A journalist's job is to report the truth, but in Belarus, the truth is treated as a crime. Katsiaryna Barysevich, a journalist for Tut.by, has been silenced by the state for simply doing her work.
May 20, 2026 at 3:29 AM
A journalist's job is to report the truth, but in Belarus, the truth is treated as a crime. Katsiaryna Barysevich, a journalist for Tut.by, has been silenced by the state for simply doing her work.