Court in Rečyca orders prison term for political prisoner Uladzimir Mikhalka

On March 10, the Rečyca District Court sentenced political prisoner Uladzimir Mikhalka to 14 months in prison for insulting Aliaksandr Lukashenka and government officials, flagstok.info said.

The court found Mikhalka guilty of crimes under Art. 368 of the Criminal Code, public insult to the President of the Republic of Belarus, and Art. 369 of the Criminal Code, public insult of a government official in connection with the performance of their duties. Mikhalka will serve his sentence in a general-security penal colony.

According to the Investigative Committee, on September 1, 2020, Uladzimir Mikhalka repeatedly insulted Lukashenka in a number of public places in Rečyca, including in the district hospital, in the building of the police department and in other locations in the presence of other people. According to investigators, Mikhalka was intoxicated at the time.

Uladzimir Mikhalka faced criminal charges on November 27. He was detained in late December. The man is on the list of political prisoners.