Eight more sentenced over 2020 protests

March 16, BPN. Eight more people have been given prison sentences for participating in protests against alleged vote rigging and violence in the wake of Belarus’ 2020 presidential election, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported.

Maksim Savič, Paviel Adamovič, Siarhiej Šaŭčanka, and Iryna Radz’kova from Minsk have been given three-year “restricted freedom” sentences without referral to an open-type correctional facility under Article 342, Part 1 of the Criminal Code for alleged participation in actions that grossly violate public order.

Anastasija Vajtovič, a history student at Belarusian State University, has been sentenced to three years of restricted at an open-type correctional facility (Article 342, Part 1).

Yaŭhen Truško, a resident of Brest, has been sentenced to two years in prison under Article 368, Part 1 on charges of insulting the president and Article 130, Part 1 for allegedly stirring up racial, national, religious or other social hatred or discord.

Viačaslaŭ Kandyba, a resident of Minsk, has been sentenced to seven years in a maximum-security prison and has had his rank of lieutenant colonel of justice in reserve revoked for allegedly posting data on law enforcement officers in one of the Telegram channels. He was convicted under Article 130, Part 3 and Article 179, Part 1.

Dzmitry Padrez, an IT professional from Minsk, has been given a seven-year prison sentence for alleged offenses against Article 130, Part 3 and Article 364 (violence or threat of violence towards an employee of law-enforcing bodies) and Article 365 (interference in the activity of a law-enforcement officer). He was ordered to pay 11,000 in damages to three victims. Padrez was also accused of sharing data on security officers.

The Brest Regional Court has upheld a prison sentence of two years and six months imposed by Brest’s Maskoŭski District Court on Volha Klaskoŭskaja for “insulting” a police officer. Klaskoŭskaja is already serving a prison term for taking part in street protests. Human rights groups declared her a political prisoner.