Syarhey Antonchyk

Sergei Antonovich Antonchik (, ; born 1 April 1956) is a Belarusian politician, labor activist and trade unionist. From 1990 to 1996, he served as a legislator in the Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian SSR / Supreme Council of Belarus 12th Convocation. He was affiliated with the BPF Party, a parliamentary faction that supported Belarusian independence. In 1994, Antonchik authored a report alleging corruption involving President Alexander Lukashenko and Prime Minister Mikhail Chigir. The publication of the report was restricted, and newspapers printed with blank spaces where the report was intended to appear.

Early life and education Antonchik was born on 1 April 1956 in the urban-type settlement of Plyeshchanitsy, Lahoysk district, Minsk region, Byelorussian SSR, Soviet Union, and completed his secondary education.

Career Sergei Antonchik worked as a galvanizer and equipment operator at the Minsk Lenin Production Association, currently known as the BiełWAR Instrument-Making Factory. Beginning in 1988, he became involved in political activism and participated in the formation of the Belarusian labor movement. He was a leader of labor protests and served as chair of the strike committee during mass worker demonstrations in Minsk, either in April 1990 or 1991, depending on the source. On 16 May 1990, Antonchik was elected to the Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian SSR (12th Convocation) from the Yaseninsky Electoral District No. 17 in Minsk. During his term, he served on several parliamentary bodies, including the Mandate Committee, the Committee on Labor, the Committee on Prices, the Employment Committee, the Social Protection Committee, and the Temporary Committee on Privileges. Antonchik was a member of the opposition BPF Party and participated in its parliamentary faction. He held positions within the party’s "Shadow Cabinet," where he chaired the Anti-Corruption Committee and co-headed the shadow Ministry of Labor, Social Protection, and Privatization Oversight. He contributed to drafting and adopting the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Belarus and legislative measures related to Belarus’s declaration of independence during the Supreme Soviet session of 24–25 August 1991. He co-authored multiple legislative proposals advanced by the BPF Party. In August 1995, during a metro workers' strike in Minsk, Antonchik was detained by state security services and held for three days in a Ministry of Internal Affairs facility.

Corruption report On 20 December 1994, Antonchik presented a report to the Supreme Council alleging corruption, unlawful commercial activities, and organized crime links involving officials in the presidential administration and the government of Prime Minister Mikhail Chigir. The report claimed that President Alexander Lukashenko had engaged in or enabled acts of corruption and accused , head of the Presidential Administration, of accepting bribes from Gazprom Transgaz. Following the report’s presentation, several officials named in the document expressed an intention to resign, though no formal resignations occurred. The Supreme Council forwarded the report to Prosecutor General Vasil Shaladov, who found no grounds for investigation. In the late 1990s, he focused on the development of independent trade unions and led the unregistered organization Workers' Self-Help. During the campaign for the 2001 presidential election, Antonchik declared his intention to run for office. From 2002 to 2004, Antonchik attempted to establish the Fatherland social organization, which focused on humanitarian issues and the protection of human rights. He reported that the organizing committee had representatives in approximately 240 localities across Belarus, with the aim of uniting a large segment of the population. Another source states that he was fined for holding such a meeting in a private apartment, though it is unclear if both references concern the same event. On the morning of 10 March 2006, days before the presidential election, he and his son Aleksandr were detained at a bus stop near their home while he was seeing his son off to work. Both were sentenced to 15 days' detention for "obscene language" and "resisting police". Due to his political activities, Antonchik experienced long-term unemployment. In 2008, he was employed as a manual laborer.

He participated in a protest against Belarus–Russia integration on 20 December 2019 and was fined 810 Belarusian rubles by the Maskouski District Court of Minsk.

In May 2021, he was fined 900 Belarusian rubles for unauthorized picketing, related to decorative stones at his residence displaying the Belarusian national coat of arms and flag.

Views and assessments During his 2001 presidential election campaign, Antonchik focused on gaining support from trade unions and voters who supported the incumbent president. He argued that the opposition should expand beyond its traditional base and proposed policies aimed at economic reform, decreasing reliance on Russia, and strengthening ties with the European Union. He also advocated for the repeal of laws he considered anti-national and the promotion of younger professionals in governance.