As the Belarusian Association of Journalists learned , on March 4, the Minsk City Court sentenced musician, researcher, and radio host Oleg Khomenko. He was found guilty under Article 361-4 of the Criminal Code — "Assistance to extremist activities".
Oleg Khomenko. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Oleg Khomenko was accused of constant cooperation with the editorial staff of "Belarusian Radio Racyja".
He was sentenced to 3 years of imprisonment and given a large fine — more than 20 thousand rubles.
Oleg Khomenko was detained in Minsk on June 17, 2025, after a search of his apartment. Initially, he was placed in the Akrestsina pre-trial detention center based on an administrative charge, and in early July, it became known that a criminal case had been initiated against the radio host, and he was transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Kalyadzichy. On July 9, 2025, the Belarusian human rights community recognized Oleg Khomenko as a political prisoner.
58-year-old Oleg Khomenko is considered the creator of the folk-modern direction in Belarusian contemporary music and is the leader of the famous band "Palats".
Khomenko founded "Palats" in 1992. Since 1998, after one of the members left, he became the artistic director of the collective and continues to lead it. He also performs solo, without the band.
As part of "Palats", he starred in the feature film "Anastasia Slutskaya" and appeared in the series "Higher than the Sky".
In addition to his stage activities, Khomenko actively worked on television and radio. In 2003-2004, he was the author and host of the TV program "Teachers' Room". He hosted the program "Brama isnaści" (Gate of Existence) on "Avtaradyyo", which stopped broadcasting in 2011. For a long time, he hosted the radio version of the hit parade "Tuzin Hitoŭ", as well as his author's program "Folk Brama" on Radio "Racyja".
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