The prison is known as a detention centre for activists of the Belarusian opposition arrested during mass protests against the government of president Alexander Lukashenko.

On 21 June 2021, the U.S. Treasury has added Okrestina Detention Centre to its Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List.

[6] On the night of August 13–14, 2020, relatives of people detained in Okrestina recorded the sounds of incessant beatings that could be clearly heard on the street.

[8] On 11 October 2020, a video recording went public showing prisoners being chased through the ranks of police and security forces in Okrestina and being continuously beaten.

[9][10] In October 2020, Okrestina's Detention Centre head Ivan Sakalouski (Sokolovskiy) was sanctioned by the European Union,[11] the United Kingdom,[12] Canada[13] and Switzerland.