Minsk City Court upholds restricted freedom sentence for prominent scholar

September 2, BPN. The Minsk City Court on August 30 upheld the restricted freedom sentence handed down on Taćciana Vadałažskaja, the scholar told BPN.

She does not intend to appeal to the Supreme Court and plans to serve her sentence.

On June 7, Judge Aleh Kalada of the Zavodzki District Court in Minsk sentenced Vadałažskaja to two and a half years of restricted freedom in an open-type correctional facility for gross violations of public order. This type of sentence implies that inmates live in barracks and are required to find a job in the location. They are allowed to leave the facility for work only.

The 48-year-old Flying University program coordinator was arrested in August 2021 and released after serving ten days jail while remaining a suspect in a criminal case. In March 2022, she asked investigators for permission to go to Lithuania for medical treatment, but was placed in a detention center instead.

Vadałažskaja is an associate of imprisoned philosopher Uladzimir Mackievič.