Bialystok activist Vaitsiakhouski, who returned to Belarus through the return commission and a BT interview, was also declared a terrorist
He was left free, but he cannot get a phone number or use a bank card.
Before the post-election protests of 2020, Anatol Vaitsiakhouski lived with his family in Baranavichy, for some time working at the district telecommunications node. In the mid-1990s, he became one of the founders of the local newspaper "Shag" (Step). It was one of the first private newspapers in the city and once one of the most popular, its circulation reaching 11 thousand copies. Later, it reformatted into a purely advertising publication.
In the early 2000s, Vaitsiakhouski left journalism and became an entrepreneur. He worked in medicine and health products. In 2023, GUBOPiK detained him — for Anatol's comments on Telegram against the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the violence of security forces, but when he was released, he quickly evacuated abroad with the help of "Bysol", living in Bialystok.
In early 2026, Vaitsiakhouski returned to Belarus through the return commission.
Despite appearing in a BT propaganda film, he was tried on four political criminal charges:
- Part 3, Art. 361 of the Criminal Code — "calls for sanctions",
- Part 2, Art. 367 of the Criminal Code — "slander against Lukashenka",
- Part 2, Art. 368 of the Criminal Code — "insulting Lukashenka",
- Part 1, Art. 361-4 of the Criminal Code — "facilitating extremist activity".
The minimum he could have received under these articles was four years in a penal colony. However, Vaitsiakhouski was given restricted freedom at home (a form of house arrest).
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