Katy Walther, a member of the Hessian State Parliament, has taken on the role of political mentor for Aleh Khamenka

Belarusian musician sentenced to three years’ imprisonment

 

Frankfurt am Main, 11 August 2026 – Katy Walther, a member of the Hessian state parliament (Alliance 90/The Greens), has taken on the political patronage of the imprisoned Belarusian musician Aleh Khamenka. Together with the International Society for Human Rights (IGFM), she is calling for his immediate release. The IGFM condemns in the strongest possible terms the arbitrary detention of Belarusian dissidents and the systematic torture of prisoners by the Lukashenko regime. 

The Belarusian musician and radio presenter Aleh Khamenka was arrested in June 2025. The criminal proceedings were based on his long-standing collaboration with the independent Belarusian radio station Racyja, which the Belarusian authorities have classified as an ‘extremist organisation’. On 4 March 2026, he was sentenced by the Minsk City Court to three years’ imprisonment in a penal colony and a fine of 6,100 euros (over 20,000 Belarusian rubles). In early July 2026, he was transferred to Penal Colony No. 17 in Shklou.

 

 

The human rights situation in Belarus

Since 1994, Belarus has been ruled authoritatively by Alexander Lukashenko (Belarusian: Aljaksandr Lukashenka). In particular, since the nationwide protests following the rigged presidential elections of 2020, the authorities have been systematically and brutally cracking down on the political opposition, independent media, human rights organisations and critical voices.

Freedom of the press and freedom of expression have been virtually non-existent ever since. Critics of the regime, journalists, cultural figures, human rights defenders and those who took part in peaceful demonstrations in August 2020 are being persecuted, imprisoned or forced into exile on the basis of politically motivated charges. Torture, ill-treatment and inadequate medical care are part of everyday life for Belarusian prisoners and continue to be documented by human rights organisations. Today, 880 political prisoners are in prison; since 2020, tens of thousands of people have been persecuted and imprisoned for political reasons, and new politically motivated cases are regularly brought.

 

Campaign for political prisoners

The IGFM documents systematic human rights violations in Belarus and draws attention to individual cases through political sponsorship schemes. The IGFM calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Aleh Khamenka. The systematic torture in Belarusian detention centres and the Lukashenko regime’s support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine must be brought to an end without delay, and those responsible must be held to account at international level.