Uladzimir Bulauski, an activist and a cultural manager from Viciebsk, was detained for the first time on February 27, 2022—the main voting day of the referendum—and was arrested for 15 days. He was to be released, but instead of that five law enforces brought Bulauski home, conducted a search, and then took him with them again.

Bulauski was arrested for the second time after three more persons were detained on December 14, 2022, in Viciebsk. All of the four detainees are related to the activities of the ROK'I PUB gastropub.

As reported by the Viciebsk branch of the Viasna Human Rights Center, in the opinion of the pub visitors, one of the reasons for the detention could be the recent concert of Iva Sativa—the pseudonym of Yana Smaliaha, a Belarusian singer and the wife of the former political prisoner Liavon Khalatran. Probably the concert provoked an unscheduled audit of the pub's activity. The local Financial Investigation Department initiated a case against the gastropub for non-payment of taxes. Most likely, Uladzimir Bulauski was also detained as a defendant in that case, as an organizer of the concerts in Viciebsk.

It is known that during his detention in remand prison #2 in Viciebsk, his father died, but the prison administration did not let Uladzimir Bulauski attend the funeral.

Eventually, a criminal case was opened against Bulauski under Article 342 of the Criminal Code (Organization and preparation of actions grossly disrupting public order or active participation in them).

The trial of Uladzimir Bulauski was to start on May 15, 2023, in the Pieršamajski District Court of Viciebsk. The case was to be considered by Judge Mikhail Yurchanka. It became known that Bulauski was charged under Article 342-2 of the Criminal Code ('Repeated violation of the procedure for organizing or holding mass events').

On May 26, 2023, Uladzimir Bulauski was sentenced to 24 months of imprisonment in a general-security penal colony. During the trial, Uladzimir Bulauski pleaded not guilty and testified in Belarusian.