Journalist Alieh Hruzdzilovič sentenced to a year and a half in a penal colony

March 3, BPN. On March 3, the Saviecki District Court of Minsk sentenced journalist Alieh Hruzdzilovič to one and a half years of imprisonment with serving his sentence in a general regime penal colony, Radio Svaboda reports.

Judge Siarhiej Šacila found him guilty under Article 342, part 1 of the Criminal Code (organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them). Hruzdzilovič’s presence at one of the protest rallies in 2020 that he covered as a freelance reporter for Narodnaja Volia, was considered a criminal offense (the Foreign Ministry deprived him of accreditation from Radio Svaboda).

The trial of the journalist began on March 2. In one day, all the stages of the trial were completed, including parties’ presentations, when the prosecutor asked for the sentence that was eventually imposed and the defendant’s final speech.

In his speech, Hruzdzilovič stated that he was being prosecuted for his work because he was “doing editorial assignments in an attempt to understand what was really going on.”

He mentioned that he met many colleagues in the pre-trial detention center No. 1 on Valaraskaha Street in Minsk, in particular, “journalists from Naša Niva, Naša Historyja, tut.by, BelaPAN,” and “saw famous social scientists including philosopher Mackievič and many others there.”

He concluded that “not only freedom of speech is being suppressed in Belarus, but also freedom of thought, the ability of people to think freely and express their thoughts and opinions.” “I totally disagree with that! I think that society, when it struggles with thought, reverts to some ancient times,” the journalist said.

Aleh Hruzdzilovič was detained on December 23, 2021 in his own apartment. Human rights defenders recognized him as a political prisoner.

On the same day, the Belarusian service of Radio Svaboda was recognized as an extremist formation by the decision of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It includes “a group of citizens associated via Radio Svaboda’s website, the Telegram channel Radio Svaboda – Belarus, the YouTube channel Radio Svaboda and other Internet resources.”

On December 3, the Central District Court in Minsk recognized the social media content along with the Telegram channel Radio Svaboda as extremist. This happened on the following day after the United States expanded sanctions against Belarusian legal entities and individuals.