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Yuriy ZenkovichBelarusian opposition politician, journalist and lawyer
Date of Birth: 31.10.1977
Country:  Belarus |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Political Activities
- Exile in the United States (2007-2020)
- Presidential Bid and Return to Belarus (2017-2020)
- Detention and Allegations of Coup Attempt (2021)
Early Life and Education
Yuri Zenkovich was born in Minsk on October 31, 1977, and resided in Zhdanovichi village in the Minsk region. He pursued higher education in Poland and the Ukrainian Academy of Banking, obtaining a law degree.
Political Activities
Chairman of the Minsk Regional Council of the BNF Party (1999-2007)Zenkovich became the Chairman of the Minsk Regional Council of the BNF Party in 1999. He also served as a member of the Sejm and Board of the BNF Party. In 2000, he headed the executive staff of the Assembly of Democratic NGOs.
Deputy of Minsk Regional Council and Presidential Candidate (2003-2007)
In April 2003, Zenkovich was elected as a deputy of the Minsk Regional Council and the Zhdanovichi Village Council. He ran for a seat in the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus in 2004 but did not succeed.
Exile in the United States (2007-2020)
In 2007, Zenkovich moved to the United States. In 2011, he earned a Master's degree in American Law from Fordham University. He worked as an attorney in the State of New York from 2010 onward.
Presidential Bid and Return to Belarus (2017-2020)
In 2017, the BNF Party nominated Zenkovich and Ales Yanukevich as their presidential candidates. He returned to Belarus during the protests against the alleged falsification of the presidential election in August 2020. Zenkovich was detained and sentenced to 10 days in custody, where he declared a hunger strike.
Detention and Allegations of Coup Attempt (2021)
On April 11, 2021, Zenkovich was detained by the Belarusian KGB and Russian FSB in Moscow. He, Alexander Feduta, and Grigory Kostusev were accused of attempting a military coup.
