New charge against Eduard Babaryka may prolong his imprisonment

April 30, Pozirk. The administration of Babrujsk’s Penal Colony No. 2 has opened a criminal case against Eduard Babaryka, Belsat reported citing unnamed sources.

Officers accused the imprisoned politician of defying their orders. The charge carries a punishment of up to one year in prison, or up to two years in case of dangerous recidivism.

Taking into account the time Babaryka had spent in a remand prison, he would be released in four and a half years. If found guilty of disobedience, his sentence would be prolonged by one year.

Eduard ran the crowdfunding platforms Ulej and MolaMola and was one of his father’s campaign managers before their arrest in June 2020.

His father, Viktar Babaryka, was determined to challenge Alaksandar Łukašenka in that year’s presidential race.

Eduard spent more than three years in detention waiting for trial. In July 2023, the Minsk Regional Court sentenced him to eight years in prison on charges of dodging taxes, organizing protests and inciting hatred. Human rights groups condemned the sentence as politically motivated.

In December 2023, security forces blacklisted him as an extremist and terrorist.

Also read: Interior ministry lists Eduard Babaryka and 20 others as extremists