“There is battle against freedom of thought,” journalist Aleh Hruzdzilovich sentenced to 18 months in prison

Aleh Hruzdzilovich, a former reporter for RFE/RL's Belarus service, has been sentenced in the Saviecki District Court of Minsk. to 18 months in a general-security penal colony. The verdict was pronounced by judge Siarhei Shatsila.

Hruzdzilovich was found guilty under Part 1 of Article 342 of the Criminal Code. He allegedly took part in an unsanctioned rally at a time when he was already deprived of his journalist accreditation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus. The Belarusian transport company Minsktrans stated that Aleh caused damage to the enterprise in three episodes: during the actions on August 16, on October 11 and 18, 2020, as the traffic was stopped in Minsk. The political prisoner was sued for 56,000 rubles.

Radio Liberty published Aleh Hruzdzilovich's last word in court:

“. . . In all the episodes considered here, I was performing editorial assignments, trying to figure out what was really going on. . . . That is what I think a journalist's job is all about. I've seen how some of my colleagues, for example, from the state media, work, trying to give an outsider's perspective, through a monitor. That's not the kind of information you can trust, in my opinion.

And so I had to be on-site, observe the events, take pictures so that I could then be able to show and prove how things really were. It was my job, which I did, and I don't deny it in principle.

If I sum up what I see now, what happens to me, what happens to other people–and I meet many colleagues in prison, journalists of Nasha Niva, Nasha Historyia, TUT.BY, BelaPAN, I saw there famous sociologists, philosopher Matskevich and others–that allows me to draw the following conclusion. There is a battle not only against freedom of speech but also against freedom of thought.  Against people's ability to think freely and express their thoughts and views. I do absolutely not agree with this.

. . . I know from my experience as a court reporter that it is common in such circumstances to ask the court for something. . . . I would like the court to make a decision to give me back that little pennant with Pahonia coat-of-the-arms that was taken from me. The thing is, I bought that pennant more than 20 years ago, when Pahonia and the white-red-white flag were state symbols, and I promised my grandson I'd give it to him as a keepsake. And I'd like to keep my promise. Thank you!”