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Statute · Belarus

Article 367 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus

slander against the President

The Detained has documented 88 cases in Belarus in which this article was charged. 57 ended in a prison sentence, with a median of 4 years and the longest at 14 years. Torture or ill-treatment was reported in 3 of them.

Documented cases
88
Prison sentences
57
Median sentence
4 years
Longest sentence
14 years
Torture reported
3

Article 367 punishes slander against the President of the Republic of Belarus: up to four years under Part 1 and up to five under Part 2, for a repeat offence or slander accusing the President of a grave crime. Unlike insult under Article 368, slander requires a statement of fact that the prosecution says is false, but the falsity is not seriously litigated: the accusation that the election was stolen, that an order to beat detainees was given, or that a death was caused is treated as slander by definition.

The documented cases are comments and posts in the same threads that produce 368 and 369 charges, and the three articles are routinely brought together. A comment that both names the President rudely and asserts something about his conduct yields one count of each. As with the other comment articles, prosecutions are opened long after the fact when a phone is searched at a border crossing or a former chat administrator hands over data.

Arrests by year

2021
4
2022
15
2023
23
2024
24
2025
12
n/a10 · arrest date not published

Charged together with

All documented cases · 88

NameArrestedSentencePlace of arrest
Valjancina Navumava5 Sept 2025no sentence recordedHrodna, Belarus
Yauhen Dorakhau12 May 20253 yearsHrodna, Hrodna region
Stanislau Silich30 Apr 2025no sentence recorded
Siarhei Litsvinka25 Apr 2025no sentence recorded
Anatol Zmitrovich23 Apr 202510 months
Viachaslau Malyshau9 Apr 2025no sentence recorded
Hleb Rybczanka1 Apr 202514 yearsGrodno, Grodno region
Siarhei Sauchkou4 Mar 2025no sentence recorded
Taccjana Mahnusava1 Feb 20253 yearsHomel, Homel region
Mikita Hrusheuski10 Jan 20253 years
Tsimafei Karatkevich2 Jan 2025no sentence recorded
Dzmitry Vialau1 Jan 20254 yearsLida, Grodno region
Mikhail Tsimashenka26 Dec 20241 year
Vital Khalchytski13 Dec 20242 years 6 months
Andrei Berastavy5 Dec 20243 yearsHomel, Homel region
Yauhen Anoshyn14 Nov 20241 year 6 months
Andrei Andronau9 Nov 2024no sentence recordedMahilyow, Mahilyow region
Sjarhei Czabocka23 Oct 20243 yearsGrodno, Grodno region
Vital Zhalezniakou21 Oct 2024no sentence recorded
Aliaksandr Starastsin14 Oct 2024no sentence recorded
Ihar Kuzauka9 Sept 2024no sentence recorded
Ihar Szukanau1 Aug 2024no sentence recordedMazyr, Belarus
Dzmitry Keheleu10 Jun 2024no sentence recorded
Leanid Tserabei9 Jun 20243 years
Vilen Turhunau20 May 2024no sentence recorded
Dzmitryi Suukhanau9 May 2024no sentence recordedSviatlahorsk, Mahilyow region
Siarhei Zinich6 May 2024no sentence recorded
Dzmitryi Kolabau1 May 2024no sentence recordedGrodno, Grodno Region
Liliya Kastsenich9 Apr 20243 years
Andrei Slizevich9 Mar 20244 yearsGrodno, Grodno region
Volha Radzivonava
Journalist
7 Mar 20244 yearsMinsk, Belarus
Maksim Khvaszczynski26 Feb 20247 yearsBabruysk, Mogilev Region
Aljaksei Kljuszniczenka22 Feb 20246 yearsMinsk, Minsk region
Viktoryja Damastroj23 Jan 20244 yearsBelarus
Vital Korszun16 Jan 20247 yearsBaranavichy, Brest region
Radzivon Kascinec15 Jan 20243 yearsBelarus
Hanna Strazhevicz18 Dec 20234 yearsSalihorsk, Mogilev Region
Henadz Vasiliuk7 Dec 20232 years
Siarhei Shekh7 Dec 20232 years 6 months
Vital Kanurkin29 Nov 2023no sentence recorded
Yury Rukshta1 Nov 20233 yearsGrodno, Grodno region
Aliaksandr Piskunou8 Oct 2023no sentence recorded
Dzmitryi Baraban1 Oct 2023no sentence recordedGrodno, Grodno region
Andrei Burdzenja20 Sept 20234 yearsunknown, Belarus
Dzmitryi Leanidavich Perszyn3 Sept 2023no sentence recordedRečyca, Homel region
Aljaksandr Piuczuk16 Aug 20233 yearsHrodna, Hrodna Region
Arciom Lapikau3 Aug 20233 yearsMahilyow, Mahilyow Region
Aljaksandr Ihnacjuk18 Jul 20236 yearsStolin, Brest region
Dzmitryi Hulin13 Jul 202314 yearsBelarus
Aljaksandr Paliuka27 Jun 20237 yearsLuninets, Brest region
Ivan Sukhamerau15 Jun 202310 yearsPetrykaw, Homel region
Ihar Kazubau8 Jun 20233 years
Yauhen Peljakhaty1 Jun 2023no sentence recordedBrest, Brest region
Aljaksandr Kulikou1 Jun 20236 yearsMahilyow, Mahilyow region
Barys Vitko25 May 20237 yearsLyakhavichy, Brest region
Valeryi Jarocki9 May 2023no sentence recordedHomel, Homel region
Ihar Shumilau23 Feb 20234 years 6 months
Aljaksandra Kasko9 Feb 202310 yearsHrodna, Hrodna region
Andrei Krauczuk14 Jan 20236 yearsMinsk, Minsk region
Taccjana Trafimčyk15 Dec 2022no sentence recordedGrodno, Grodno region
Mikhail Mjakeka9 Dec 20226 yearsSkidzel, Grodno region
Mikalai Karol28 Nov 20224 years
Valiantsin Dubroushchyk2 Sept 2022no sentence recorded
Andrei Caljuk16 Aug 2022no sentence recordedBrest, Belarus
Andrei Bykau15 Aug 20225 yearsGrodno, Grodno region
Jauhen Stralczen11 Aug 2022no sentence recordedGrodno, Grodno Region
Aljaksandr Sumar27 Jul 20229 yearsLuninets, Brest Region
Valery Viskirski27 Jun 20225 years
Yauhen Buzhynski9 Jun 20226 yearsSmorgon, Grodno region
Aliaksandr Bindzei12 Apr 2022no sentence recordedHrodna, Hrodna Region
Aljaksandr Masevicz18 Mar 20227 yearsBabruysk, Mogilev Region
Siarhei Hrybovich13 Mar 20224 years 6 months
Siarhei Zakharanka10 Mar 20224 yearsHomel, Homel region
Mikhail Laban17 Feb 20224 yearsг. Новополоцк
Aleh Haurylau13 Dec 202110 yearsSalihorsk, Minsk region
Siarhei Rabcaŭ30 Sept 20216 yearsHrodna, Belarus
Pavel Belaholau29 Sept 20213 yearsMahilyow, Mahilyow Region
Vital Astreika21 Sept 2021no sentence recorded
Uladzimir Marozau Mikhailavichdate unknown9 yearsMinsk, Minsk region
Mikalai Dzemczankadate unknownno sentence recordedHomel, Homel region
Jauhen Skoczkadate unknown3 yearsHomel, Homel region
Vital Pjatrenkadate unknown2 yearsGrodno, Grodno region
Volha Hubardate unknownno sentence recorded
Ihar Ivanoudate unknown2 years 6 months
Uladzimir Baslykdate unknownno sentence recorded
Sjarhei Jakubionakdate unknown2 yearsMahilyow, Mahilyow region
Illja Krauczeuskidate unknown8 yearsHrodna, Hrodna region
Aljaksandr Khazeeudate unknown4 yearsHomel, Homel region

Questions

What is the difference between slander (367) and insult (368)?
Slander is a statement of supposedly false fact; insult is an offensive expression. Courts have found both in the same comment and convicted on both counts.
Does the prosecution prove the statement was false?
Formally it must. In the documented cases, statements about the 2020 election or about police violence were treated as false without evidence being examined.

How to write to a political prisoner in Belarus

Browse all cases in Belarus

How we define a political prisoner

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 17 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.