{"id":116480,"date":"2024-12-03T14:07:43","date_gmt":"2024-12-03T11:07:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/116480\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"startup-hub-managers-given-lengthy-prison-terms","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/116480\/","title":{"rendered":"Startup hub managers given lengthy prison terms"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

December 3, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> The Minsk City Court has sentenced Ja\u016dhien Puha\u010d, a manager at the Imaguru startup hub, to four and a half years in prison and fined him 20,000 rubels (some $5,660), the Prosecutor General’s Office reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Puha\u010d, held in custody since July 2023, was persecuted on charges of tax evasion and conspiracy to seize power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exiled Imaguru managers Ta\u0107ciana Maryni\u010d and Anastasija Chamiankova were given 12 and 11 years in prison, respectively, without them being present at the trial. The judge also fined them 280,000 rubels ($80,000) each. Charges against them ranged from inciting hatred and calling for sanctions to association with an extremist group and conspiracy to seize power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The verdict has not yet entered into force and can be appealed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In August 2023, the Committee for State Security (KGB) branded Imaguru an extremist group, listing Andrej Novak and Kaciaryna Boulton-Smith along with Maryni\u010d and Chamiankova as members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imaguru used to be one of the most popular meeting platforms for businesspeople, startups and investors in Minsk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In May 2021, it moved to Madrid and set up branches in Warsaw and Vilnius after Belarusian authorities had evicted the company from its Minsk office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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