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Statute · Belarus

Article 293 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus

mass riots

The Detained has documented 85 cases in Belarus in which this article was charged. 79 ended in a prison sentence, with a median of 6 years and the longest at 19 years. Torture or ill-treatment was reported in 19 of them.

Documented cases
85
Prison sentences
79
Median sentence
6 years
Longest sentence
19 years
Torture reported
19

Article 293, mass riots, punishes organizing riots "accompanied by violence against persons, pogroms, arson, destruction of property or armed resistance to the authorities" with five to fifteen years, participation with three to eight, and training or financing participants with up to three. It is the heaviest of the protest articles and was used for the first days after the August 2020 election, when crowds were dispersed with stun grenades and rubber bullets.

The documented cases are participants in the demonstrations of 9 to 12 August 2020 in Minsk, Brest, Pinsk and other cities, most of them charged under Part 2 for being present at a place where a barricade was built or a police vehicle was damaged, whether or not they touched it. Several group trials sentenced dozens of people at once. The article has since been used against alleged organizers abroad and, together with terrorism charges, in cases built on plans the KGB says it uncovered.

Arrests by year

2020
37
2021
16
2022
11
2023
7
2024
11
n/a3 · arrest date not published

Charged together with

All documented cases · 85

NameArrestedSentencePlace of arrest
Raman Emeljanau9 Dec 2024no sentence recordedChachersk, Homel region
Mikalai Voran1 Nov 20244 yearsBrest, Brest region
Aleh Shylau13 Aug 20244 yearsBrest, Brest region
Sjarhei Filimonau9 Jul 2024no sentence recordedBrest, Brest region
Dzmitryi Postnikau9 Jul 2024no sentence recordedBrest, Brest Region
Uladzislau Piskunovich9 Jul 20244 yearsBrest, Brest Region
Maksim Sandrakula28 Jun 20243 years 6 monthsHrodna, Hrodna region
Yauhen Melnichuk4 Apr 20244 yearsBrest, Brest region
Aljaksei Ramasjuk13 Mar 20244 yearsPinsk, Brest region
Siarhei Kulesh4 Mar 20244 yearsPinsk, Brest region
Vital Korszun16 Jan 20247 yearsBaranavichy, Brest region
Stanislau Dubouski29 Dec 20234 yearsBrest, Brest region
Jauhen Kladou30 Aug 20231 yearBaranavichy, Brest Region
Arciom Jankouski13 Aug 2023no sentence recordedHrodna, Hrodna region
Maksim Varnel8 Jul 20235 yearsHrodna, Hrodna region
Sjarhei Hunja16 Jun 20237 yearsMazyr, Gomel region
Kiryl Macjuta9 Jan 20237 yearsGrodno, Grodno region
Siarhei Botvich5 Jan 20235 yearsHrodna, Hrodna Region
Artur Khlucz22 Oct 20225 yearsHrodna, Grodno Region
Pavel Kuczynski5 Sept 202219 yearsBelarus
Andrei Saczeuka11 Aug 20226 yearsHrodna, Hrodna region
Vasil Dzemidovich16 Jun 20227 yearsNiasvizh, Minsk region
Vadzim Vasileu25 May 202212 yearsVitebsk, Belarus
Yuryi Zhukouski20 Apr 20228 yearsHrodna, Hrodna region
Edvard Vilczeuski19 Apr 20229 yearsLida, Grodno region
Sjarhei Njalepka15 Mar 20229 yearsHrodna, Belarus
Illja Verameeu27 Feb 20226 yearsGomel, Gomel region
Yauhen Blakhinski18 Jan 20227 yearsHrodna, Hrodna Region
Aljaksandr Petuszkou12 Jan 20227 yearsSlonim, Grodno region
Stanislau Kuzmicki23 Dec 202115 yearsMinsk, Belarus
Dmitry Rusetsky16 Dec 20214 years
Yahor Ljankevič9 Dec 20216 yearsMinsk, Minsk region
Vital Barysevicz24 Nov 20216 yearsMinsk, Minsk region
Mikita Kuntysz9 Nov 20216 yearsMinsk, Minsk region
Sjarhei Batura9 Nov 20215 yearsMinsk, Minsk region
Aljaksei Mandzik8 Nov 20217 yearsBelarus
Jana Pinczuk1 Nov 202112 yearsMinsk, Belarus
Siarhei Rabcaŭ30 Sept 20216 yearsHrodna, Belarus
Aljaksei Kudasau1 Jul 202111 yearsMinsk, Minsk region
Anatol Maculevicz11 Jun 20217 yearsPolotsk, Vitebsk region
Ruslan Volkau4 Jun 20217 yearsBrest, Brest region
Aljaksandr Lapukh24 Mar 20215 yearsPinsk, Brest region
Uladzimir Tryfonau2 Mar 202114 yearsMinsk, Minsk region
Volha Salamenik2 Mar 20217 yearsHomyel, Belarus
Aljaksandr Jurczyk16 Jan 20218 yearsMinsk, Minsk region
Siarhei Maushuk2 Dec 20206 years 6 months
Yauhen Yushkevich24 Nov 202011 yearsMinsk, Minsk region
Sjarhei Pacukevicz17 Nov 20206 yearsMinsk, Belarus
Aljaksei Sanczuk4 Nov 20206 yearsMinsk, Belarus
Arciom Micuk9 Oct 20208 yearsBelarus
Siarhei Palonis2 Oct 20208 yearsMinsk, Minsk Region
Rastslau Stefianovich29 Sept 20208 yearsMinsk, Minsk Region
Aljaksandr Reznik29 Sept 20208 yearsMinsk, Belarus
Yuryi Bjalko29 Sept 20209 yearsMinsk, Minsk region
Yauhen Prapolski29 Sept 20209 yearsMinsk, Belarus
Pavel Niadbajla29 Sept 20208 yearsSvetlahorsk, Belarus
Dzmitryi Ivaszkou27 Sept 20206 yearsHomel, Homel region
Arciom Kasakouski27 Sept 20206 yearsMinsk, Minsk region
Eduard Palchys27 Sept 202013 years
Tamaz Pipija26 Sept 20206 yearsHrodna, Hrodna Region
Timur Pipija25 Sept 20206 yearsMinsk, Minsk Region
Vital Szyszlou25 Sept 20206 yearsMinsk, Minsk Region
Siarhei Liazhenka23 Sept 20206 yearsPinsk, Brest Region
Marfa Rabkova17 Sept 202014 years 9 months
Ihar Salavei3 Sept 20206 yearsPinsk, Brest Region
Osipau Cikhan14 Aug 202013 yearsMinsk, Minsk region
Alaksandr Franckievich13 Aug 202018 yearsBelarus
Dzmitry Kubarau11 Aug 20208 years
Mikita Zolotarev11 Aug 20204 years 6 months
Daniil Bohnat10 Aug 20206 years
Roman Bakhnovets10 Aug 20206 years
Artur Khalimonchyk10 Aug 20206 years
Ryhor Hunko10 Aug 20206 years
Viachaslau Rahashchuk10 Aug 20206 years
Aliaksei Melnikau9 Aug 20207 years
Stanislau Mikhailau9 Aug 20206 years
Tatsiana Kaneuskaya6 Aug 20206 years
Yury Ulasau6 Aug 20206 yearsHomel, Homel region
Uladzimir Cyhanovich9 Jun 202016 yearsHomel
Dzmitryj Papou4 Jun 202016 yearsMinsk, Minsk region
Arciom Sakau31 May 202016 yearsHomel, Homel region
Alaksandr Aranovich29 May 20206 yearsHrodna, Hrodna region
Vadzim Karpaudate unknownno sentence recordedBrest, Brest region
Siarhei Harundate unknownno sentence recordedBrest, Brest region
Illja Krauczeuskidate unknown8 yearsHrodna, Hrodna region

Questions

Were the August 2020 protests riots?
International observers described them as overwhelmingly peaceful. Courts have treated isolated barricades and damage to police vehicles as sufficient to classify entire gatherings as mass riots.
What does "participation" require?
In the documented cases, presence at the scene identified from video, sometimes combined with a gesture or a shout. Personal violence was not required for a Part 2 conviction.

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Other statutes in Belarus

Counts are of published records in The Detained’s database for Belarus that carry this article, matched after normalizing how sources write it, as of 21 Oct 2026. They are a documented minimum: cases not yet published or not yet linked to the article are not counted. Each row links to the case record and its sources.