September 8, Pozirk. Russian national Andrei Podnebenny, 36, died five days ago in Mahiloŭ’s Prison No 15, his mother Valentina Podnebennaya said on Facebook.
Podnebenny resided in Belarus since the age of six, said the Viasna human Rights Center, describing his persecution as politically-motivated.
Four years ago, judge Anatol Sotnikaŭ sentenced him to 15 years in prison on extremism- and terrorism-related charges for allegedly setting fire to the car of a senior police official, puncturing the tires of 39 trolleybuses and running an opposition Telegram channel.
Authorities also accused him of setting fire to a crane at a construction site in 2019.
In early 2023, Judge Rusłan Caruk of the Homiel Regional Court added 20 months to Podnebenny’s original sentence, accusing him of facilitating extremism, inciting hatred, insulting Alaksandar Łukasenka and his officials.
Besides Podnebenny, several other designated political prisoners died in recent years behind bars, including Vitold Ašurak, Mikałaj Klimovič, Aleś Puškin, Vadzim Chraśko, Ihar Lednik, Alaksandar Kulinič and Dmitry Shletgauer.
Valancin Štermier’s death was reported earlier this year. It remained unclear whether Štermier died in the penal colony or was taken to the hospital.
On September 8, human rights defenders identified at least 1,196 political prisoners but the real number is considerably higher because of many undocumented cases.
