human rights defender

Valiantsin Stefanovic

Actions and Campaigns

Organization affiliation

Human Rights Center "Viasna"

HRD's year of birth

1972

HRD's Gender

Man

Type of HRD

NGO member

HRD's thematic area of engagement

Civil and political rights

HRD's geographical origin

Urban

Current Status

Pardoned

HRD's bio and work

Valiantsin Stefanovic is a member of the Viasna Board and the vice-president of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH). He is a well-known human rights expert and analyst advocating for non-discrimination and the abolition of the death penalty.

Valiantsin is a lawyer by education. At the age of 22, he was an observer at the first presidential elections in Belarus. He was one of the founders of Malady Front, a youth organisation that has been actively campaigning for democratic change in Belarus and against the authoritarian regime of Aliaksandr Lukashenka since the late 1990s. Valiantsin joined Viasna in 1998 and became its deputy chairman two years later. He participated in various international conferences, meetings, human rights missions, and election monitoring missions in the OSCE countries.

Valyantsin's lifelong passion is music, especially rock. His wife, son and two little daughters are waiting for him to be released. Communication with him is currently very limited.

Detained since

Jul 14, 2021

Date of release

Mar 19, 2026

Charge(s)

Financing unrest
Other

Sentence

9 years

Latitude: 53.831

Longitude: 30.391

Geolocation of detention

Country or area of detention

Region of detention

Europe: Eastern Europe

Location of detention - City/Town

Viejna

Location of detention - Facility

Penal colony No. 15. 213105, Mahilioŭ, Viejna, Slaŭharadskaja šaša 183

Allegations / reports of ill-treatment

Arbitrary placement in the punishment cell (PKT) on a regular basis.

Communication is very limited.

Recent case update / evolution

On 19 March 2026, Valiantsin Stefanovic was pardoned and released as part of an agreement between the governments of Belarus and the United States to lift US sanctions on two Belarusian banks, the Ministry of Finance and two fertiliser manufacturers. Upon release, Valiantsin was deported to Lithuania.

Any other relevant documents

A birthday letter from Alice Mogwe, FIDH President, to Valiantsin Stefanovic https://belarus.fidh.org/A-birthday-letter-from-Alice-Mogwe-FIDH-President-to-Valiantsin-Stefanovic