Viasna Human Rights Centre
Belarus · Viasna
01Overview
Quick Facts
CountryBelarus
Age / Sex53 · female
Occupation—
Arrested inMinsk, Minsk region
Held atPenal Colony No. 4
CategoryJournalism
StatusConvicted
Sentence12 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
Ljudmila Czekina is the former CEO of the independent media outlet TUT.BY. She was detained in May 2021 as part of a crackdown on the organization. She was sentenced to 12 years in prison on charges including tax evasion and calls for actions harming national security. She is currently held in a penal colony and is listed as a terrorist.
Key Facts
01 entries- 01[politzek] Генеральный директор TUT.BY. Работает в TUT.BY с 2008 года. Сначала она была юрисконсультом, а затем стала директором. В 2017 году Людмила возглавила «Тут Бай Медиа». Коллеги говорят, что она очень терпеливый и добрый человек, ценит людей, всегда готова помочь и ищет выход из любой ситуации. Кроме того Людмила любит читать, цветы и животных — у нее два кота. Людмила родилась в Сергиевом Посаде. Родители тоже из России, отец до сих пор живет там. В Минске Людмила жила с 19-летним сыном Алексеем. Только недавно он переехал в отдельную квартиру в многоэтажке неподалеку. Парень учится веб-дизайну https://nashaniva.com/?c=ar&i=273673&lang=ru
Native-Language SummaryBE • Original
Людміла Чэкіна — былая генеральная дырэктарка незалежнага парталу TUT.BY. Яна была затрыманая ў маі 2021 года ў рамках крымінальнай справы супраць медыя. Суд прысудзіў ёй 12 гадоў калоніі па абвінавачванні ў ухіленні ад падаткаў і закліках, што наносяць шкоду нацыянальнай бяспецы. Яна ў спісе тэрарыстаў.
02Charges
Charges
03 count- 01Calls for actions aimed at causing harm to the national security of the Republic of Belarus
- 02Evasion of payment of taxes and fees
- 03Inciting hostility or enmity
Criminal Code Articles
03 articleArt. BY-361Art. BY-243Art. BY-130
03Analysis
Predicting Vector
Surveillance vector
Surveillance vectorUnknown
04Timeline
Case Timeline
Arrest date
May 18, 2021
Sentence served
5y 1mo / 12 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: Ljudmila Czekina (PPW case cmmkydyn). Retrieved July 6, 2026, from https://politicalprisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmmkydyn6000h1vcfl6d2yjr4. Original data from Viasna Human Rights Centre (https://prisoners.spring96.org/en/person/ljudmila-czekina).
Formats reflect this case as an online database record. Always verify the original source before citing in legal filings.