58-year-old former political prisoner Valery Bahdan has died nine months after his release from a Belarusian penal colony.
News of Bahdan’s death was shared on May 28 via social media by Andrei Stryzhak, co-founder of the Belarusian Solidarity Foundation (BYSOL). The information, based on accounts from fellow inmates who had been imprisoned with Bahdan, was also reported by Nasha Niva and the Human Rights Center “Viasna.”
Bahdan was arrested on May 18, 2021, and charged with defaming and insulting Alexander Lukashenko, as well as inciting hatred. On September 17 of the same year, he was sentenced to three years in a penal colony for posts he had published on social media.
He was released in March 2024, having served the full sentence. On social media, Bahdan wrote about ongoing health issues and mentioned frequent hospital visits. According to Nasha Niva, he died in early 2025.
The Human Rights Center “Viasna” noted that, as of March 12, 2025, at least 219 political prisoners remained detained under conditions posing serious threats to their health and safety.
In mid-May, the deaths of two former female political prisoners—Tamara Karavai and Hanna Kandratsenka—were also reported.
Deaths Behind Bars
Between 2021 and 2024, at least eight political prisoners died while in Belarusian detention facilities.
On May 20, the death of Valancin Shtermier was announced. The exact date and circumstances of his death remain unknown. It is unclear whether he died in the penal colony or had been transferred to a hospital beforehand. What is known is that he died while serving his sentence.
