Teacher’s Day in Belarus is the first Sunday of October. In 2026 that was 4 October. On 2 October Viasna gathered kindergarten teachers, schoolteachers and lecturers who meet the holiday outside a classroom. Below is only what the centre writes about each person. “Khimiya” here means restriction of liberty with an order to an open-type penal institution.

• Tatsiana Korsakava, a teacher at kindergarten No. 518 in Minsk. Detained on 26 September 2025 with her husband after a search. Formally: “treason”, “illegal acts with weapons”, “illegal crossing of the border”. Minsk city court: 12 years in a colony and a large fine. Viasna does not give the sum. In jail her hypertension, diabetes and joint disease got worse: the medicines she needed were withheld. She is effectively cut off from her family.
• Alena Arshanskaya, a special-needs teacher in Ashmyany who also taught speech classes in Minsk schools. Article 361-4, parts 1 and 2. Minsk regional court: 4 years of “khimiya” with a referral. She is serving it.
• Mikalai Bankou, a lecturer in the communications department at the Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics. Detained in Minsk on 18 January 2023, first under an administrative charge. Three donations in August 2020. Article 361-2. Minsk city court: 4 years, general regime. Navapolatsk colony No. 1. Half a year straight in a punishment cell; his hands turned blue from the cold. Contact with the outside was cut off.
• Aliaksandr Rybchanka, former director of the school in the village of Dobramaśli, Liozna district, until about 2018. Article 361-4, parts 1 and 2. Vitebsk regional court: 4 years of “khimiya”, open-type institution No. 24.
• Dzianis Holubeu, 51, a candidate of veterinary sciences and an associate professor at Vitebsk Medical University. Articles 368 (“insulting” dictator Lukashenka) and 361-4. Vitebsk regional court: 4 years of “khimiya”. The same open-type institution No. 24.
• Siarhei Boika, a Ukrainian citizen and a schoolteacher in Naroulya. Detained in 2022. According to testimony Viasna cites, he filmed a school event while a plane flew overhead, and military equipment may have been in the frame. Article 358-1, “agent activity”. A closed trial in Homiel: 7 years, general regime. Navapolatsk colony No. 1.
• Alena Safranava, a senior lecturer at the Belarusian State Agricultural Academy, more than 85 academic publications. Article 361-1, part 3. Viasna assumes the “yard chats” case. Mahiliou regional court: 2.5 years. Women’s colony No. 4.
• Yauhen Shliakhtsionak, trained as a history teacher. From 2015 he worked at the Mosty military commissariat, keeping the register of reserve officers. Hrodna regional court, three charges: an “extremist formation”, “calls for sanctions”, “facilitating extremist activity”. 4 years, general regime. Colony No. 15.
• Fiodar Kandyranda, a lieutenant colonel and a lecturer at the Military Academy. In August 2020 he refused to support the violence by the security forces and filed to resign. A decree by dictator Lukashenka stripped him of his rank. Arrested in March 2025. Article 361-4, parts 1 and 2. Viasna writes that this is probably the Gayun case. 2.5 years in a colony.
• Hanna Shpak, a coach and teacher at the Buravestnik Olympic reserve school in Minsk. Arrested in February 2025. Article 361-4, the Gayun case. 3.5 years, general regime. Women’s colony No. 4.
• Yury Vasileuski, a senior lecturer at the Belarusian National Technical University, power-supply department. Arrested in March 2026 and held in the KGB jail. Formally “donations” and “treason”, then pre-trial jail No. 1. As of 2 October Viasna had published no sentence. In its September review the centre writes that in late September the Minsk regional court opened a trial of him, Genrikh Ageev and Ivan Balashenko. The charges include “terrorism” and “treason”.

Zhodzina, no names

On 5 October former political prisoner Olga Skrashchuk wrote about four teachers she shared a cell with in Zhodzina in the Zeltser case. This is her account, published by Charter97. No names. An English teacher with an international diploma, a drawing teacher, a music teacher, and an honoured teacher of Russian and Belarusian language and literature. The last was 71. One was brought on a prison transport in chains. The 71-year-old became so ill she could not get up from the bunk. Medicines were not given. She was made to squat with her hands locked behind her back and she fell. They were told they would be shot.