34-year-old ideology officer from Hrodna sent to penal colony in political case
Pavel Kizyukh served in the 74th Separate Signal Regiment and defended a master's thesis on military psychology. Human rights defenders previously reported that he was being tried for «high treason», but in the end the man was found guilty under a different article.
Pavel Kizyukh in 2021. Photo: mil.by
Pavel Kizyukh is 34 years old; he comes from the Hrodna district — in 2009, he graduated from Indura Secondary School. He then entered the Combined Arms Faculty of the Military Academy of Belarus, graduating in 2013 with a degree in «Ideological Work in the Armed Forces».
In 2022, at Hrodna State University, Kizyukh also defended a master's thesis in psychology — researching the relationship between socio-psychological adaptation and emotional intelligence among conscripts.
The man served in Hrodna in the 74th Separate Signal Regiment of the Western Operational Command. At least as of 2020, he held the rank of captain and served as deputy commander of a signal battalion for ideological work.
Pavel Kizyukh. Photo: VKontakte
Pavel Kizyukh was arrested on April 5, 2025. Previously, human rights defenders from «Viasna» believed that Kizyukh was put on trial for high treason.
However, according to data from the KGB's «terrorist» list, the sentence was ultimately handed down under Article 361 of the Criminal Code — calls for sanctions. The charges were likely reclassified or clarified during the investigation.
The exact sentence length is unknown, but it entails time in a penal colony.
Kizyukh's wife is waiting for him at home.