ALIAKSANDR BARANAU, Roman Catholic Church (Mazyr, Homiel region)

Aliaksandr Baranau (born 27 November 1975) is a Catholic believer, entrepreneur and public figure from Mazyr, originally from the village of Pienica, Kalinkavičy District, Homiel Region. He is the founder of the cultural space “Valley of Angels” and was connected with the Catholic parish of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Mazyr, which gathered in the building of a former Cistercian monastery. He participated in the parish’s church life and served as an altar server during liturgies.

Aliaksandr Baranau was detained on 5 January 2026 under Part 1 of Article 361-4 of the Criminal Code of Belarus (“assistance to extremist activity”). The criminal prosecution is linked to the so-called “Belaruski Hajun case” — a monitoring project that tracked the movement of Russian military equipment and troops across Belarusian territory. A few days after his detention, he was placed in Pre-Trial Detention Centre No. 3 in Homiel, where he remains held pending trial.

On 28 May 2026, human rights defenders recognised him as a political prisoner.