The Supreme Court rejected the appeals of 20 independent analysts, researchers, and politicians sentenced to imprisonment in absentia, and confirmed their sentences of 10-11 years each.
This statement was originally published on baj.media on 11 October 2024.
On October 8, the Supreme Court of Belarus considered appeals in absentia for 20 independent analysts, researchers, and politicians sentenced to imprisonment. Belarusian independent media journalists Yury Drakakhrust and Hanna Liubakova are among them. All the individuals involved in the case are abroad.
Political commentators and analysts Ryhor Astapenia, Filip Bikanau, Aliaksandr Dabravolski, Andrei Kazakevich, Hanna Krasulina, Yauhen Kryzhanouski, Dzianis Kuchynski, Veranika Laputska, Aliaksandr Lahvinets, Vasil Navumau, Maryia Rohava, Alesia Rudnik, Natallia Rabava, Pavel Usau, Tatsiana Chulitskaya, Aliaksandr Shlyk, and Katsiaryna Shmatsina are also among those whose appeals were dismissed by the Supreme Court.
In May-June 2024, the Minsk Regional Court considered the cases of these 20 individuals, designated as an extremist group by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus and known as “Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Analysts”. The process was held as a special proceeding.
Background from July 9, 2024: Harsh verdicts: Drakakhrust and Liubakova sentenced to 10 years in prison in «Tsikhanouskaya’s Analysts» case
All defendants were found guilty of the following offences:
– Conspiracy to seize state power unconstitutionally (Part 1 of Article 357 of the Criminal Code),
– Membership in an extremist group in order to commit extremist crimes (Part 3 of Article 361–1 the Criminal Code),
– Assisting public calls for actions aimed at harming the national security of the Republic of Belarus (Part 6 of Article 16 and Part 3 of Article 361 of the Criminal Code),
– Facilitating deliberate acts aimed at inciting social hatred and discord, based on social affiliation by a group of individuals (Part 6 of Article 16 and Part 3 of Article 130 of the Criminal Code).
Additionally, politician Aliaksandr Dabravolski was found guilty of leading an extremist group (Part 1 of Article 361–1 of the Criminal Code).
The following sentences were imposed, based on the totality of the crimes committed:
Aliaksandr Dabravolski: 11 years and 6 months of imprisonment and a fine of 6,000 basic units (240,000 BYN);
Hanna Krasulina, Dzianis Kuchynski, Piotr Rudkouski, and Aliaksandr Shlyk: 11 years of imprisonment and fines ranging from 1,000 to 40,000 basic units (from 40,000 to 1.6 million BYN);
Hanna Liubakova, Yury Drakakhrust, Ryhor Astapenia, Filip Bikanau, Andrei Kazakevich, Yauhen Kryzhanouski, Veranika Laputska, Aliaksandr Lahvinets, Vasil Navumau, Maryia Rohava, Alesia Rudnik, Natallia Rabava, Tatsiana Chulitskaya, and Katsiaryna Shmatsina: 10 years’ imprisonment;
Pavel Usau: 11 years’ imprisonment.
The property of the defendants — apartments, houses, and land plots in Belarus — has been seized by authorities “to ensure compensation for the damage caused.”
This ruling has now come into legal force, according to the Prosecutor General’s Office of Belarus.
