16 Facts About Viktar Babaryka

Viktar Dzmitryevich Babaryka is a Belarusian banker, philanthropist, public and opposition political figure who intended to become a candidate in the 2020 Belarusian presidential election.

Viktar Babaryka has been working in the banking system of Belarus since July 1995.

In 2008, Viktar Babaryka became one of the founders of the International Children's Charity Foundation "Chance".

In 2018, on the initiative of Viktar Babaryka, Belgazprombank financed the publication of 15,000 copies of Svetlana Alexievich's five-volume edition and donated them to Belarusian libraries.

Viktar Babaryka came up with a proposal to create an art-space OK16 organising exhibitions and theatrical performances.

The candidacy of Viktar Babaryka was publicly supported by Belarusian cultural figures including Nobel Prize laureate Svetlana Alexievich and director Andrej Kurejchyk.

On 14 July 2020, Viktar Babaryka was denied the registration as a candidate for presidency.

At first, Viktar Babaryka was not targeted by the investigation, but, according to the Head of State Control Committee Ivan Tertel, the investigation team had "solid evidence of Babaryka's involvement in illegal activities" and "most of the detainees are cooperating with the investigating authorities and making confessions".

Viktar and Eduard Babaryka are kept in custody in the Pre-Trial Detention Centre of the KGB of Belarus.

On 2 July 2020, it was reported that Viktar Babaryka was accused of criminal offence pursuant to part 2 of Article 243, part 2 of Article 245 and part 2 of Article 431 of the Belarusian Criminal Code.

Viktar Babaryka was represented by his attorneys as he was not allowed to appear in person at this hearing.

The criminal trial of Viktar Babaryka commenced on 17 February 2021 at the Maskouski District Court in Minsk.

On 6 July 2021, Viktar Babaryka was sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment after being found guilty on bribery and tax evasion.

In July 2023, Eduard Viktar Babaryka was sentenced to eight years in prison.

Viktar Babaryka subsequently disappeared from the hospital the next day, and has not been seen since.

Prison officials have denied that Viktar Babaryka has disappeared, claiming that he is "alive and healthy" and continues to serve out his sentence.