The leader of "Lapis Trubetskoy" faces up to 9 years in prison in Belarus
In Belarus, criminal charges have been filed against Sergei Mikhalk, the leader of the band “Lapis Trubetskoy,” who is accused of inciting hostility and insulting Alexander Lukashenko. The case will be heard in absentia, and the musician could face up to nine years in prison, according to reports on May 18 by the publication “Zerkalo” and Radio Free Europe’s Belarusian service, citing a statement from the agency.
Belarusian investigative authorities have announced criminal proceedings against musician Sergei Mikhalk, leader of the well-known band “Lapis Trubetskoy,” and plan to hear the case against him in absentia without his presence.
This was reported by Belarusian media, citing the country’s Investigative Committee, which is charging the artist with two articles of the criminal code—inciting social hostility and insulting Alexander Lukashenko.
Under Belarusian law, the first charge carries a penalty ranging from a fine to five years in prison, while the second carries a penalty of up to four years, meaning the musician could potentially face up to nine years in prison. “Investigators have asked Mikhalk to voluntarily appear at the Investigative Committee’s office in Minsk,” Belarusian media reports state.
The exact reason for opening the case has not been officially specified, but the media note that certain creative works associated with the band have previously been labeled “extremist” in Belarus.
This refers, in particular, to the song “Don’t Be Like Cattle,” created back in 2011 based on a poem by Yanka Kupala, which was added to the list of banned materials in 2024. The case against Mikhalok will be heard in a special proceeding, meaning without his physical presence in court, which effectively amounts to a trial in absentia.
Serhiy Mikhalok is a Belarusian-Ukrainian musician, one of the founders of “Lapis Trubetskoy” and the Brutto project, who received a residence permit in Ukraine in 2015 and was later awarded the title of Honored Artist of Ukraine.
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