Pavel Padabed, a video cameraman and photographer, was arrested on January 20, 2023. According to the monitoring service of the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), he was probably arrested at the post office, where he managed to make one payment for his son's education and suddenly stopped communicating. Later Padabed phoned his relatives and confirmed his arrest—without specifying what exactly he was charged with. He only had time to inform them that his flat had been searched. His relatives examined his flat and saw that his computer and other information carriers had disappeared, including the phone that he had with him.

Pavel Padabed was detained in the Minsk District Pre-trial Detention Center under Article 19.11 of the Code of Administrative Offences for distributing (reposting) "extremist materials". On February 4, 2023, the 15 days of his administrative arrest ended. However, as the BAJ found out, he was never released. Instead, they transferred him to remand prison #1 in Minsk and started criminal proceedings against him. On the eve of his supposed release, he was transferred to the detention center on Akrescina Street, where he was interrogated.

Subsequently, a criminal case was opened against Pavel Padabed under 361-1, part 3 (participating in an extremist organisation) of the Criminal Code.

The case of the political prisoner was taken to court.

On June 30, 2023, in the Minsk City Court, Judge Yauhen Pisarevich sentenced Pavel Padabed to 4 years of imprisonment in a general-security penal colony.