Whistleblower army officer sentenced to 18 years in prison on high treason charges
The Supreme Court has sentenced political prisoner Dzianis Urad to 18 years in a medium-security penal colony, finding him guilty of high treason (Part 2 of Article 356 of the Criminal Code). Urad, a former Captain at the Armed Forces’ General Staff, was also deprived of his military rank. The trial was held behind closed doors.
The verdict is final and not subject to appeal.
Dzianis Urad was accused of leaking information about a secret letter from the Minister of the Interior to the Minister of Defense authorizing the involvement of soldiers in the dispersal of post-election protests. According to pro-government media, on March 14, the officer photographed the document and sent it to a Polish Telegram channel.
The country’s human rights community called the imprisoned officer a political prisoner.
