Viasna Human Rights Centre
Belarus · Viasna
01Overview
Quick Facts
CountryBelarus
Age / Sex46 · male
Occupation—
Arrested inMinsk, Belarus
Held atPenal Colony No. 11
CategoryOther
StatusConvicted
Sentence11 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
Yaraslau Sakovich is a political prisoner who returned to Belarus from Ukraine in 2021 to care for his sick parents. He was detained by the KGB and reportedly tortured to extract a confession regarding his alleged involvement in the war in Ukraine. He has been sentenced to a total of 11 years in prison on charges including treason and mockery of state symbols.
Native-Language SummaryBE • Original
Яраслаў Саковіч — палітвязень, які вярнуўся ў Беларусь з Украіны ў 2021 годзе, каб даглядаць хворых бацькоў. Ён быў затрыманы КДБ і, паводле паведамленняў, катаваны, каб выціснуць прызнанне адносна яго нібытага ўдзелу ў вайне ва Украіне. Ён асуджаны агулам на 11 гадоў пазбаўлення волі па абвінавачваннях у здрадзе дзяржаве і здзеку з дзяржаўных сімвалаў.
02Charges
Charges
03 count- 01Mockery of state symbols
- 02Illegal actions regarding firearms, ammunition and explosives
- 03Treason
Criminal Code Articles
03 articleArt. BY-370Art. BY-295Art. BY-356
03Analysis
Predicting Vector
Surveillance vector
Surveillance vectorUnknown
04Timeline
Case Timeline
Arrest date
August 5, 2022
Sentence served
3y 11mo / 11 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: Yaraslau Sakovich (PPW case cmmjnhi4). Retrieved July 6, 2026, from https://politicalprisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmmjnhi4300ho1vya7oh3makh. Original data from Viasna Human Rights Centre (https://prisoners.spring96.org/en/person/jaraslau-sakovicz).
Formats reflect this case as an online database record. Always verify the original source before citing in legal filings.