In nine months, there were 323 criminal cases. What crimes are committed by foreigners in the capital

Foreign citizens (26 and 30 years old) worked in a construction company: one was a carpenter, the second was a painter. In January 2026, they were instructed to lay porcelain stoneware on the stairs of the building under construction on M. Savitsky Street. After completing the work, the partners held a grudge against the employer: he promised to pay, but did not come to the meeting. Angered, they with the help of improvised means broke the expensive tiles laid the day before. What ended the criminal story, read the material of the correspondent of the agency “Minsk-Novosti”.

The amount of damage amounted to almost 15 thousand rubles. The defendants were detained, they admitted their guilt only partially. The eldest of the accused has a higher education, a wife and two young children. His accomplice is single, after graduation, he did not study anywhere. Both have never been convicted or had a permanent home in our country.

The court found them guilty under Part 2 of Art. 218 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus (deliberate destruction of someone else’s property on a large scale) and sentenced each to 3 years in a reinforced regime colony. The entire amount of damage was also collected from them.

Another foreigner was in the Belarusian capital in transit, planning to leave for the European Union. I met a Minnesota woman online. They texted for a while and then agreed to have coffee together. After the date, the communication continued, and one day a resident of the capital invited a new acquaintance for her birthday to her home, where her daughter and a gentleman were also. During the feast, the guest noticed where the hostess was hiding his wallet.

Left in the room alone, the man took from the wallet of the birthday girl 450 rubles and later spent them on himself. The attacker did not take into account one thing: security cameras worked in the apartment, one of which recorded the moment of theft. Since the foreigner did not voluntarily return the money, the victim appealed to the police. The accused pleaded guilty and repented. He has a higher education, a wife and a young child. He has not previously been prosecuted.

On the basis of Part 1 of Art. 205 of the Criminal Code (“Theft”), the court sentenced the defendant to two months of arrest. He is also obliged to return the stolen and pay the victim 200 rubles in the account of material compensation for moral damage.

Another foreign visitor, a 23-year-old boy from the eastern country, was convicted of threatening to kill. He came to Belarus at the end of 2024 for the purpose of employment. Together with other foreigners - three guys and a girl student - rented an apartment on Nemige Street.

A domestic conflict broke out over the washing machine. The young man asked the neighbor to release the drum, she took out things, but inside there was a woman’s hair. The girl refused to clean them up. Angry, the foreigner took out a large knife from the backpack and went on it. A frightened student locked herself in the room. The attacker began to kick the door, breaking its glazing, and shouted that he would kill the neighbor.

The victim dialed 102. Debashir boasted that he was not afraid of anyone and that he would be released from prison by one call. Arriving police officers detained the troublemaker. Previously, the foreign citizen had no problems with the law, he admitted his guilt completely.

The court found the defendant guilty under Article 186 of the Criminal Code (threat of murder) and sentenced him to two months of arrest.

Competent commentary

Senior Assistant to the Prosecutor of Minsk for Legal Support, Information and Public Relations Margarita Voronich:

- During the nine months of 2026, there were 323 criminal cases against foreign citizens in the production of Moscow investigators. Guests of the capital go on a variety of crimes - from domestic conflicts and theft to hooliganism. Some people ignore immigration laws, while others purposefully travel to Minsk for fraud or drug trafficking.

According to the Criminal Code, foreigners are liable on a general basis. However, they may not be assigned community or correctional work, as well as restriction of freedom. In addition, citizens of other states are not subject to such measures of criminal liability as postponement of execution of punishment in the form of imprisonment or conviction with conditional non-application of punishment.

Collage by Valentina Trishina