Imaguru Founders Imprisoned for 23 Years in Belarus

The verdict was announced on December 2, 2024, and also includes $80,000 fines each, seizure of their property, and removal of their citizenship, making them effectively stateless.

This is the latest move in the government’s campaign against Imaguru, which began with the hub’s forced shutdown in Minsk in 2021.

In 2020, we shared a piece by Tatyana Marynich where she talked about her late husband, Mikhail Marinich—a former minister, ambassador, and public figure in Belarus.

He openly disagreed with the government, quit his job, and ran in the presidential election against the current president. As a result, he was sent to prison, where he suffered a stroke. He died nearly six years later.

She recounted:

“Imagine a life where there are no rights, no laws, no protection. Where the government has full control of what you do, and when, and if you make the wrong move — you are either imprisoned or go missing for an indefinite period.

People can be detained, and imprisoned for no reason. Internet access can be shut down without explanation.

All conversations can be listened to. Bank accounts can be shut down with a click of a button, offices searched.

The legal system can be rewritten as quickly as Facebook's algorithm can recommend the next picture to like.”

Imaguru was a key part of Belarus’s tech scene until it was shut down in April 2021, after masked intruders entered and its lease was suddenly ended.

Since launching in 2013, Imaguru has trained over 12,000 entrepreneurs, helped create more than 300 startups, and played a major role in growing Belarus’s startup community.

Even after being forced to leave the country, Imaguru continues its work from new hubs in Madrid and Warsaw, supporting innovation and entrepreneurship across Europe.

About Imaguru

Imaguru Startup Hub is a Europe-wide startup center that helps boost innovation, supports startups, and invests in new ideas. It works to connect tech talent, entrepreneurs, and civil society activists to encourage teamwork and create new opportunities for growth and impact.