Belarus police arrest singer who refused to perform at pro-Łukašenka events

May 22, Pozirk. Police in Belarus arrested popular pop singer Alaksiej Chlastoŭ on May 21. In recent years, he has been working as a taxi driver after being banned from the stage for refusing to perform at pro-Łukašenka events during the 2020 political unrest.

The singer’s wife, Alena, reported his detention on Threads. He is being held at the pretrial detention center on Akrescina Street in Minsk.

Shortly before his arrest, Chlastoŭ posted a video in which he denied any wrongdoing. He said that law enforcement officers had already held “preventive conversations” with him twice, but he did not understand what they wanted from him.

In January 2026, Chlastoŭ was added to a 160-song list of tracks banned from being performed at karaoke bars across Belarus, CityDog reported.