Court dismisses political prisoner Volha Klaskoŭskaja’s appeal against her conviction, she awaits transfer to a prison

March 15, BPN. Brest Regional Court did not satisfy the appeal of political prisoner Volha Klaskoŭskaja against the sentence of Brest Maskoŭski District Court. She will be transferred to the Homiel’ women’s prison No. 4, reports Viasna Human Rights Center.

Klaskoŭskaja’s mother met her daughter during a visit that lasted for one hour.

“The conversation was conducted over the phone through the glass. Volha is cheerful and looks good. She asked not to worry about her and to take care of my own health,” the political prisoner’s mother told Viasna. “She is also very grateful for the support of all people who care about political prisoners. She noted the warm words of support from Natallia Hersche, whom she met in the Homiel’ penal colony No. 4. Volha was very happy that this courageous, resilient and wonderful woman is now free.”

On December 22, 2020, the Leninski District Court of Minsk sentenced the former journalist of the non-state newspaper Narodnaja Volia Volha Klaskoŭskaja to two years in prison under Article 342, part 1 of the Criminal Code (actions that grossly violate the public order) for “blocking of traffic on the intersection of Rakasoŭski Avenue and Pliachanaŭ Street” in the evening of October 13, 2020.

On January 20, 2022, the Maskoŭski District Court of Brest found her guilty under Article 369 of the Criminal Code (insulting a representative of authorities) for online comments about a Brest policeman, which she had written before her arrest. She was punished with a year and a half of freedom restriction without referral to an open-type correctional facility.

Klaskoŭskaja was ultimately sentenced to 2.5 years in a maximum-security penal colony as her sentences were combined.

Volha Klaskoŭskaja is the daughter of a well-known Belarusian political analyst Aliaksandr Klaskoŭski.