human rights defender

Ihar Karnei

Actions and Campaigns

Organization affiliation

  • BAJ
  • Radio Svaboda

HRD's year of birth

1968

HRD's Gender

Man

Type of HRD

  • Journalist/Blogger

HRD's thematic area of engagement

  • Civil and political rights

HRD's geographical origin

Urban

Current Status

Released

HRD's bio and work

Ihar Karnei worked as a journalist for Radio Svaboda and is known for his essays on the cultural and historical heritage of Belarus, as well as for his travel blogging.

Detained since

Jul 17, 2023

Date of release

Jun 21, 2025

Charge(s)

  • Extremism

Sentence

3 years and 10 months

Geolocation of detention

Country or area of detention

Region of detention

  • Europe: Eastern Europe

Location of detention - City/Town

Škloŭ

Location of detention - Facility

Penal colony No. 17. 213004, Škloŭ, vulica 1-ja Zavodskaja 8

Recent case update / evolution

On June 21, 2025, 14 political prisoners, including Ihar, were released. This pardon followed a visit to Minsk by Keith Kellogg, US President Donald Trump's special envoy. The released prisoners were immediately transported to Lithuania.

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