News Summary

Tatyana Marynich and Anastasiya Khamiankova, founders of Imaguru, a prominent startup hub in Minsk, Belarus, have been sentenced ‘in absentia’ to a combined 23 years in prison by Belarusian authorities. Their crime was promoting entrepreneurship, which the Lukashenko regime deemed dangerous. Imaguru, which launched over 300 startups and raised more than $100 million, became a focal point for tech innovation in Belarus. In 2020, Imaguru opened its doors to civil society groups, which led to increased scrutiny from the government. By 2023, Imaguru was labeled as an ‘extremist formation,’ and Marynich’s Belarusian passport was revoked, making her stateless in Spain. Despite these challenges, Imaguru continues to operate in Warsaw and Madrid with European support, campaigning to declare entrepreneurship a human right.