Aliaksandr Frantskevich, an activist in an anarchist movement, was arrested during a peaceful protest on August 13.

He was charged under Part 1 of Art. 293 of the Criminal Code, "organization of riots."

He is being held in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Minsk. Frantskevich reported being tortured in the KGB.

On January 28, the authorities said that Frantskevich, as well as other political prisoners Andrei Chapiuk and Akikhiro Hayeuski-Hanada, were targeted in a new criminal case under Part 2 of Article 285 of the Criminal Code, "participation in a criminal organization in any other form." Subsequently, the charge was reclassified to ‘establishing or leading a criminal organization’.

At the end of November 2021, it became known that Frantskevich was charged with the following 13 articles of the Criminal Code:

• Part 1 of Art. 293 of the Criminal Code — Organization of riots
• Part 2 of Art. 293 of the Criminal Code — Participation in riots
• Art. 342 of the Criminal Code — Organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order or active participation in them
• Art. 361 of the Criminal Code — Calls for actions aimed at causing harm to the national security of the Republic of Belarus
• Art. 218 of the Criminal Code — Intentional destruction or damage to property committed in a generally dangerous manner or causing damage on a large scale
• Part 2 of Art. 339 of the Criminal Code — Hooliganism committed by a group of persons
• Art. 341 of the Criminal Code — Desecration of structures and damage to property
• Art. 361-1 of the Criminal Code — Creation of an extremist formation, or participation in it
• Part 2 of Art. 285 of the Criminal Code — Participation in a criminal organization in any other form
• Art. 130 of the Criminal Code — Incitement to hatred
• Part 3 of Art. 339 of the Criminal Code — Especially malicious hooliganism
• Art. 295-3 of the Criminal Code — Illegal actions with objects, the action of which is based on the use of combustible substances
• Part 1 of Art. 285 of the Criminal Code — Creation of a criminal organization or its leadership

On April 25, 2022, the trial commenced in Minsk Municipal Court. Prosecutor Andrei Buhuk requested a hearing in a closed session, because “there are materials of extremist nature in the materials of the criminal case”. The judge granted his petition and decided to close the hearing. All attendees were ordered out of the courtroom.

Four and a half months later, on September 6, 2022, Frantskevich was sentenced to 17 years in a maximum-security penal colony and a fine of 22,400 Belarusian rubles (more than $8,800).

On February 28, 2023, the Supreme Court considered the appeals, behind closed doors. The Judicial Collegium chaired by Judge Aliaksei Rybakou, dismissed the complaints of the six defendants. The sentences for Marfa Rabkova and Andrei Chapiuk, as well as for the anarchist movement activists Akikhiro Hayeuski-Hanada and Aliaksandr Frantskevich were reduced by three months. Thus, the final sentence for Aliaksandr Frantskevich is 16 years and 9 months of imprisonment in a maximum-security penal colony.

In mid-March 2023, Aliaksandr Frantskevich was transferred to penal colony #5 in Ivacievičy, Brest region.

On March 16, 2023, the KGB included the political prisoner in their "list of terrorists".

Human rights defenders learned that on March 28, 2023, immediately after the "quarantine", Frantskevich was placed in a punishment cell for 10 days, and then the term was extended. Besides, his lawyer was not allowed to visit the political prisoner.

Aliaksandr Frantskevich has one kidney, therefore his long stay in a punishment cell can affect his health.

He was already convicted before, as a defendant in the anarchists' case: on May 24, 2011, the Zavodski District Court of Minsk sentenced Frantskevich to 3 years of imprisonment, which he served in the same penal colony in Ivacievičy. In October 2011, human rights defenders recognized Ihar Alinevich, Mikalai Dziadok, and Aliaksandr Frantskevich as political prisoners. They also often kept him in a punishment cell then.

On May 26, 2023, the Ministry of Internal Affairs added the political prisoner to their 'list of extremists'.

Human rights activists reported that Aliaksandr had been placed in a punishment cell (PKT) for six months since September 2023. In total, the political prisoner was held in solitary confinement for 160 days. 

The trial of Marfa Rabkova, Andrei Chapiuk and eight other political prisoners to be held behind closed doors

The trial of ten political prisoners began today in Minsk City Court: coordinator of the "Viasna" Volunteer Service Marfa Rabkova, volunteer Andrei Chapiuk, political prisoners activists of the anarchist movement Akikhiro Hayeuski-Hanada, Aliaksandr Frantskevich, Aliaksei Halauko, Aliaksandr Kazlianka, Pavel Shpetny, Mikita Dranets, Andrei Marach, and Danila Chul. Ten articles of the Criminal Code are featured in this case, while the investigation files constitute 160 volumes. Judge Siarhei Khrypach was appointed to hear this high-profile case.

Viasna member Marfa Rabkova gets 15 years in jail, volunteer Andrei Chapiuk—6

The Minsk Municipal Court announced the sentence of ten political prisoners at once: coordinator of Viasna’s volunteer network Marfa Rabkova, volunteer Andrei Chapiuk, activists of the anarchist movement Akikhiro Hayeuski-Hanada, Aliaksandr Frantskevich, Aliaksei Halauko, Aliaksandr Kazlianka, Pavel Shpetny, Mikita Dranets, Andrei Marach, and Danila Chul.