Viasna Human Rights Centre
Belarus · Viasna
01Overview
Quick Facts
CountryBelarus
Age / Sex24 · male
Occupation—
Arrested inMinsk, Belarus
Held at—
CategoryProtest
StatusConvicted
Sentence2 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
Zakhar Szarko was detained in connection with protests in Minsk. After a previous conviction for hooliganism, he was re-arrested in late 2024. He was sentenced in May 2025 to 2 years of restricted liberty in an open-type correctional institution for organizing or participating in mass disturbances.
Native-Language SummaryBE • Original
Захар Шарко быў затрыманы ў сувязі з пратэстамі ў Мінску. Пасля ранейшага асуджэння за хуліганства, ён быў зноў затрыманы ў канцы 2024 года. У маі 2025 года яго асудзілі да 2 гадоў абмежавання волі ў установе адкрытага тыпу за арганізацыю або ўдзел у дзеяннях, што груба парушаюць грамадскі парадак.
02Charges
Charges
01 count- 01Organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them
Criminal Code Articles
01 articleArt. BY-342
03Analysis
Predicting Vector
Surveillance vector
Surveillance vectorUnknown
04Timeline
Case Timeline
Arrest date
December 9, 2024
Sentence served
1y 6mo / 2 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: Zakhar Szarko (PPW case cmmjmljk). Retrieved July 6, 2026, from https://politicalprisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmmjmljk8004s1vya4drxqkkn. Original data from Viasna Human Rights Centre (https://prisoners.spring96.org/en/person/zakhar-szarko).
Formats reflect this case as an online database record. Always verify the original source before citing in legal filings.