Viasna Human Rights Centre
Belarus · Viasna
01Overview
Quick Facts
CountryBelarus
Age / Sex33 · male
Occupation—
Arrested inMinsk, Minsk region
Held atPrison No. 4
Categorylegal_profession
StatusConvicted
Sentence7 years
Belarus · context
1,277documented cases
393 urgent · 116 report torture
Most common grounds
Journalism
101
Legal Profession
11
Medical
2
Culture
1
Reports of Torture or Ill-treatment.
Subjected to physical abuse or severe ill-treatment in detention. Violation of international law.
Case Summary
Mikita Starazhenka is a former investigator who resigned in protest following the 2020 elections. He was detained for allegedly leaking the contact details of law enforcement officers to a protest Telegram channel. He was sentenced to seven years in a high-security prison and has reportedly been subjected to physical abuse.
Native-Language SummaryBE • Original
Мікіта Старажэнка — былы следчы, які звольніўся ў знак пратэсту пасля выбараў. Ён быў затрыманы за нібытае перадачу кантактаў супрацоўнікаў сілавікоў праз тэлеграм-канал. Ён асуджаны да séмі гадоў калоніі ўзмоцненага рэжыму; паводле паведамленняў, яго білі пры затрыманні.
02Charges
Charges
02 count- 01Inciting hostility
- 02Illegal collection and dissemination of information about private life
Criminal Code Articles
02 articleArt. BY-130Art. BY-179
03Analysis
Predicting Vector
Surveillance vector
Surveillance vectorSocial Media Monitoring
Technology usedTelegram
04Timeline
Case Timeline
Arrest date
February 1, 2022
Sentence served
4y 5mo / 7 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: Mikita Starazhenka (PPW case cmmjnlxs). Retrieved July 6, 2026, from https://politicalprisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmmjnlxsa00jk1vyaxxmbshvr. Original data from Viasna Human Rights Centre (https://prisoners.spring96.org/en/person/mikita-starazhenka).
Formats reflect this case as an online database record. Always verify the original source before citing in legal filings.