Viasna Human Rights Centre
Belarus · Viasna
01Overview
Quick Facts
CountryBelarus
Age / Sex54 · male
Occupation—
Arrested inGrodno, Grodno region
Held atPenal Colony No. 15 Mahilyow
CategoryOther
StatusConvicted
Sentence5 years
Belarus · context
1,277documented cases
393 urgent · 116 report torture
Most common grounds
Journalism
101
Legal Profession
11
Medical
2
Culture
1
Case Summary
Andrei Bykau is a former reserve lieutenant colonel who was arrested in August 2022. He was convicted for his online comments and calls for sanctions against the Belarusian government. He has been added to the lists of terrorists and extremists.
Native-Language SummaryBE • Original
Андрэй Быкаў — былы падпалкоўнік запаса, які быў затрыманы ў жніўні 2022 года. Ён быў асуджаны за каментары ў інтэрнэце і заклікі да санкцый супраць беларускага кіраўніцтва. Ён унесена ў спісы тэрарыстаў і экстрэмістаў.
02Charges
Charges
06 count- 01Calls for actions aimed at harming national security
- 02Insulting a representative of authority
- 03Insulting the President of the Republic of Belarus
- 04Violence or threat of violence against an official
- 05Inciting hostility
- 06Defamation in relation to the President
Criminal Code Articles
06 articleArt. BY-361Art. BY-369Art. BY-368Art. BY-366Art. BY-130Art. BY-367
03Analysis
Predicting Vector
Surveillance vector
Surveillance vectorSocial Media Monitoring
04Timeline
Case Timeline
Arrest date
August 15, 2022
Sentence served
3y 10mo / 5 years
05Sources
Data Source
Source vs. PPW analysis
ViasnaCase facts, charges, dates, and status.
PPW analysisRisk, surveillance & sentence estimates — probabilistic, not the source's reporting.
View all data sources →§ Updates
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Cite this case
Political Prisoner Watch. (2026). Case file: Andrei Bykau (PPW case cmmjnh5g). Retrieved July 6, 2026, from https://politicalprisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmmjnh5gd00hi1vya4m9lujgf. Original data from Viasna Human Rights Centre (https://prisoners.spring96.org/en/person/andrei-bykau).
Formats reflect this case as an online database record. Always verify the original source before citing in legal filings.