Pavel Dabravolski is a former journalist for Naviny.by.

Previously, he collaborated with various independent media outlets. During the 2020 protests, he was detained and faced administrative charges related to his professional activities.

In the fall of 2021, he left Belarus. However, it was recently revealed that he has been held in pretrial detention in Belarus since January 2025.

According to Belarusian Association of Journalists, the charges are linked to Dobrovolsky’s journalistic publications. He previously worked for both Belarusian and foreign media, including the Ukrainian outlet NV.ua (before Russia’s full-scale invasion). His last workplace in Belarus was the independent news agency BelaPAN.

The trial of Pavel Dobrovolsky began on February 27, 2026, at the Minsk City Court. The proceedings were held behind closed doors, so the details of the charges remain unknown. As a result, the journalist was sentenced to nine years of imprisonment in a high-security penal colony.