Ihar Mints was a legal adviser at Naftan, a major Belarusian oil refinery. On September 22, 2021, his home was searched. The next day he was arrested as part of a criminal investigation for 'high treason' involving several employees of Belarusian factories who supported local strikes in 2020 and were members of the Rabochy Rukh labor rights group. On September 21, 2021, Rabochy Rukh was labeled as an ""extremist"" initiative, a decision that sparked the arrests of many workers across the country. In addition, Ihar was charged with defamation and with the creation of and participation in an extremist formation.

On November 9, 2022, the Homieĺ Regional Court began the trial of the Rabochy Rukh case involving ten political prisoners. At the trial, all the defendants refused to plead guilty to treason and creating an extremist formation. They also refused to testify.

On February 17, 2023, Ihar Mints was sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment in a medium-security penal colony.