Extradited Telegram channel administrator Pinčuk faces five criminal charges

September 12, BPN. Jana Pinčuk, 25, extradited from Russia to Belarus and accused in a politically-motivated case, faces five criminal charges, the Viasna Human Rights Centre reported.

On September 1, the Prosecutor General’s Office said that Pinčuk was charged with three criminal offences, including creating an extremist group, inciting hatred and calling for overthrowing the government.

Human rights defenders note that she is also accused of defamation and illegal actions regarding private life and personal data.

According to the Prosecutor General, Pinčuk allegedly created an “extremist” Telegram channel called Viciebsk 97% between September 2020 and November 2021. In July, the interior ministry blacklisted the channel as extremist.

Pinčuk, a Belarusian national who lived in Russia, was arrested in St Petersburg in November 2021. Her case is being investigated by the Investigative Committee’s department in Viciebsk.

In March 2022, the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office ordered her extradition to Belarus. In June 2022, the St Petersburg City Court upheld that decision.

The UN Human Rights Committee called on Russia to suspend the extradition while the international body was considering the detainee’s complaint.

Human rights groups say Pinčuk’s persecution is politically motivated.