In Belarus, a lieutenant colonel who opposed the war was sentenced to 14 years in prison

In Belarus, former Lieutenant Colonel Anton Cheremnykh was sentenced to 14 years in prison on charges of “treason” and “inciting social hostility.” The verdict, handed down back in 2024, has only now come to light.

Anton Cheremnykh is a former deputy commander of the 310th Artillery Group of the 120th Separate Guards Mechanized Brigade. According to human rights activists, the court heard his case behind closed doors.

After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Cheremnykh openly opposed the war and refused to spread pro-Russian propaganda among the military. He also supported an alternative candidate in the 2020 presidential election in Belarus.

The former officer is currently serving his sentence at Penal Colony No. 1 in Novopolotsk.

Source: “Viasna” Human Rights Center.

As a reminder, Lukashenko stated that Belarusian military personnel would not take part in the war against Ukraine.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that one should not be naive about Belarus’s role in Russia’s war against Ukraine. According to him, Minsk is under strong influence from Moscow, and most of the Belarusian government’s decisions are effectively dictated by the Kremlin.