Siarhei Besarab

Siarhei Besarab was born in 1984 in the city of Novogrudok in the Grodno Region of western Belarus.^[7] He graduated with honors from Secondary School No. 3 in Novogrudok, where he won several awards at regional and national chemistry olympiads during his school years.^[8][9] In recognition of his academic performance in chemistry, Besarab received a local student distinction which included the ceremonial wearing of the academic gown belonging to Boris Kit, a rocket scientist originally from the region.^[10]

Besarab received his Bachelor of Science from the Department of Radiation Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technologies, Faculty of Chemistry, Belarusian State University, where he conducted research on radiation-induced free radicals under the supervision of Professor Oleg Shadyro, a leading specialist in the study of radiation effects.^[11]

He earned his master's degree in chemistry at the University of National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (NASB). His master's research was supervised by Alexander Tretyak, a Belarusian specialist in glass chemistry and functional glass materials.^[12] Following his master's studies, Besarab conducted doctoral research in surface science under the guidance of academician Vladimir Komarov at the Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry at NASB.^[3] Komarov is recognized as a leading Belarusian chemist and founder of the national school of adsorption science.^[13]

During his secondary school and university years, Besarab developed an interest in meteoritics and meteorite hunting. He worked as an analytical chemist in a team involved in commercial meteorite search expeditions, where he was responsible for identifying recovered materials.^[14][15]

In 2020, he issued a scientific rebuttal to accusations against civil activist Stsiapan Latypau, debunking claims of a plot to poison law enforcement with agricultural chemicals.^[43][44] He also contributed to an appeal by Belarusian scientists condemning state violence following the contested presidential election, actions that led to his dismissal from the Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry and a professional ban.^[45] His inclusion in the list of repressed Belarusian scientists prompted the scientific community to publish The Scientists’ Open Letter Against Repressions, signed by over 800 academics.^[46][47]

In response to ongoing repression, Besarab co-founded the Belarusian Scientific Solidarity Fund^[48] to support persecuted scholars. He further opposed the Russian invasion of Ukraine by publishing an open letter on behalf of the Belarusian scientific community,^[49][50][51] despite backlash from the NASB.^[52] As part of the Until All Are Free campaign,^[53] he became an advocate^[54] for political prisoner Artsiom Bayarski, a chemistry student targeted for his involvement in post-election protests.

As a public defender of academic freedom Besarab has consistently highlighted issues in Belarusian science, such as censorship, lack of academic freedom, and opaque funding practices.^[55][56] His data-driven initiatives include mapping the repression of Belarusian citizens^[57] and scientists, producing analyses like the "map of Belarusian extremism"^[58] and profiles of repressed academics.^[59] Through his activism, Besarab remains a vocal proponent of transparency and reform in science policy and education.^[60][61][62]

In October 2025, Besarab published an analysis disputing allegations that weather balloons drifting into Lithuania were used for smuggling. He argued that such methods were not economically viable and characterized the objects as educational tools.^[63][64][65]

In early 2026, Besarab published a report analyzing the arrest of Belarusian amateur radio operators on treason charges. He argued that the equipment cited by authorities was technically incapable of the alleged espionage. This analysis attracted international attention to the crackdown, with coverage by technology outlets such as 404 Media and Boing Boing, which highlighted the suppression of technical hobbyist communities in Belarus.^[66][67] The report was also circulated by international radio organizations, including the French Union of Radio Amateurs (UFRC).^[68] According to Besarab, the crackdown threatens national emergency response capabilities, as radio hobbyists often provide critical communication support during natural disasters.^[69][70]

Besarab gained prominence among Russian and Belarusian speaking readers for his critical analyses of radiation safety.^[71][72] His reputation as a technical expert became particularly notable after the launch of the Astravets Nuclear Power Plant, where he emerged as one of the leading public critics of the station's radiation safety systems.^{[73][74][75][76][77]}

In spring 2023, amidst heightened geopolitical tensions, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced plans to bring Russian tactical nuclear weapons into Belarus. Besarab responded by publishing detailed descriptions^[78] of potential storage sites for these weapons on his blog and engaging with independent media to discuss the associated risks.^[6] This activity placed him in direct conflict with Belarusian authorities, who subsequently labeled all content from his science blog as extremist material (see Classification of extremist materials in Belarus for details).^[79][80]

Facing mounting pressure, Besarab became the target of criminal charges for allegedly causing harm to the state.^[81][82][83] The Belarusian KGB threatened him with imprisonment, prompting his decision to flee the country and seek political asylum within the European Union to ensure his safety.^[84]