Former investigator sentenced to seven years in prison under “political” articles

December 2, BPN. The Minsk City Court has sentenced former Investigative Committee officer Mikita Staraženka to seven years in prison, the Viasna Human Rights Center reports.

Judge Anžeła Kaściukievič found him guilty of incitement to hatred and illegal handling of personal data. She decided that Staraženka should pay his “victims” 5,000 rubels (some $2,000) in damages.

The center said the investigator resigned in protest in 2020 after he was tasked with pressing a case against a 16-year-old boy beaten by law enforcers.

In April 2021, Staraženka was jailed for 15 days for “unauthorized picketing.”

On May 4, 2021 Alaksandr Łukašenka stripped him of his rank of senior reserve lieutenant of justice in the reserve.

The former investigator was arrested on February 1 at a shopping mall in Minsk.