Minsk resident convicted of insulting and threatening with violence officers involved in torture of Mikalai Dziadok

On July 7, the Saviecki District Court of Minsk sentenced 35-year-old Minsk resident Yauhen Siamionau to five years in prison. The man was convicted for two comments in a Telegram chat where he talked about GUBOP officers Ivan Tarasik and Aliaksandr Alioksa. The association of Belarusian police officers who fled from the country BYPOL previously posted information about involvement in the torture of Mikalai Dziadok. The defendant shared it with a comment: "...let's go smash their faces" and "Now everyone knows where these f*ckers live." Siamionau's words were qualified as contempt of officials (Article 369 of the Criminal Code) and the threat of violence to police officers on duty (Article 364 of the Criminal Code). The man must pay each injured employee one thousand rubles of moral damage within a month. In addition, the man was tried on 11 episodes of theft from his acquaintance (Part 1 and Part 2 of Art. 205 of the Criminal Code) and for evading to serve a running term of house arrest under Article 328 of the Criminal Code (drug trafficking).

The man pleaded guilty to all counts and articles. Yauhen Siamionau has been in custody since February 26, 2021.

The aggrieved party under Articles 369 and 364 of the Criminal Code, officers of the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption (GUBOP) Ivan Tarasik and Aliaksandr Alioksa did not appear at the trial "at a pretext of a sick leave and vacation." However, they demanded compensation for moral damage of three thousand rubles each.