The week in review.

Political Prisoner Briefing: Week of May 11-18, 2026

During the reporting period of May 11-18, 2026, monitoring documented 3 new arrests, 654 updated case records, no reviewed case developments, and 30 news items across the tracked region. The total number of political prisoners stands at 4910.

Russia accounted for all 3 new arrests this week, with cases involving Andrei Pirogov, Galibzhon Ibragimov, and Mehron Naibova. Belarus saw the largest volume of updated case records with 619 cases receiving new information, while Russia had 22 updated cases. Smaller numbers of updated cases were recorded in Uzbekistan (5), Tajikistan (4), Kyrgyzstan (3), and Kazakhstan (1).

Among the notable updated cases in Belarus were several journalists and activists including Dzianis Ivashyn, Dzmitryi Paznjakou, Ljudmila Czekina, and Vital Czopik, all classified as critical urgency cases. Other high-priority updated cases included journalists Siarhei Sacuk, Pavel Dabravolski, Palina Pitkevicz, Ihar Iljasz, Andrei Famin, and Andrei Aljaksandrau, along with activists Alena Lazarchyk and Vasil Hračykha.

The week's news coverage highlighted several significant sentences in Russia, including a 22-year term for a former Ministry of Defense employee for plotting to blow up ships, a 20-year sentence for a St. Petersburg resident involved with the Freedom of Russia Legion, and a 16-year sentence for a woman convicted of spying for Ukraine's SBU. Additional sentences ranged from 10 to 15 years for various charges including treason and attempted defection.

New arrests decreased by 40 percent compared to the previous week, dropping from 5 to 3 cases.