Out of jail! In November, 28 political prisoners got free

The number of political prisoners in Belarus has been growing steadily for two years now. Now 1443 people are recognized as political prisoners, including 22 individuals who were added to the list in November. At the same time, some have already served their terms or are released from custody after being sentenced to non-custodial terms. According to human rights defenders, at least 28 people were released in November—19 of them fully served their sentences on politically motivated charges, and another nine were sentenced to restricted freedom and released in the court. Viasna recalls their cases. 

Nineteen political prisoners served full time

Aleh Famin, 813 days in jail

Aleh Famin, 48, is an entrepreneur from Vaŭkavysk. He is also a football coach.

Famin was detained on August 15, 2020. On December 24, Judge Mikalai Talashka of the Vaŭkavysk District Court sentenced him to two and a half years in a general-security penal colony under Art. 364 of the Criminal Code, “violence or threat of violence against an employee of the internal affairs bodies.” Famin also had to pay the police officer Viachaslau Ivanou 2,000 Belarusian rubles (approx. US$ 800) in moral and physical damages.

The political prisoner was released from the Škloŭ penal colony at 6 am on November 5.

Yauhen Kisleika, 433 days in jail

Yauhen Kisleika was sentenced to 18 months of restricted freedom for an “offensive” comment about Interior Minister Kubrakou. The court convicted him of “violence or threat of violence against an employee of the internal affairs bodies” (Art. 364 of the CC).

Since September 9, 2021, he had been serving time in an open-type penal facility in Minsk. In mid-August 2022, it became known that Kisleika’s custody level was raised to imprisonment in a penal colony.

The political prisoner completed his sentence in a Viciebsk penal colony and was released on November 16, 2022.

Vadzim Khizhniakou, 781 days in jail

Vadzim Khizhniakou was sentenced to two and a half years in prison. The court convicted him of “violence against a police officer” (Art. 364 of the CC). The charge stems from a protest held on September 27, 2020.

Khizhniakou had thrown an “unidentified object” at a riot police officer, the prosecution claimed. The defendant pleaded not guilty in court.

Khizhniakou served his term in penal colony No. 1. It is known that the political prisoner was kept in a colony in cell-type premises for six months. He was released on November 16, 2022.

Mikhail Yefimovich, 781 days in jail

Mikhail Yefimovich is an office manager from Hrodna.

He was sentenced to two and a half years in prison in the same case as Vadzim Khizhniakou. Like Khizhniakou, he was convicted of “violence against a police officer” (Art. 364 of the CC).

Yefimovich served his term in Viciebsk penal colony No. 3. He was released on November 16, 2022.

Hanna Vishniak, 758 days in jail 

Hanna Vishniak volunteered with Drivers 97, a protest Telegram channel. During and after the protests, she helped deliver drinking water around the city. Vishniak was detained on October 28, 2020.

The trial did not begin until 10 months later. The Zavodski District Court of Minsk sentenced Vishniak to two and a half years of imprisonment in a general-security penal colony. She was convicted of “organization of group actions that grossly violate the public order” under Parts 1 and 2 of Article 342. The trial was closed to the public. It is known that the political prisoner pleaded not guilty.

Vishniak served her term in Homieĺ women's colony No. 4. She was released on November 25, 2022.

Yauhen Kahotska, 362 days in jail

Yauhen Kahotska was convicted of “Desecration of state symbols” (Art. 370 of the CC).

Kahotska had turned and burned the state flag of Belarus and posted the video on Tic Toc, the prosecution said. He was sentenced to six months under home confinement. However, the prosecutor's office appealed the sentence, and the penalty was raised to freedom restriction in an open-type penal facility.

The political prisoner served his term in Viciebsk open correctional facility No. 46. He was released on November 19, 2022.

Siarhei Piarfiliyeu, 643 days in jail 

Siarhei Piarfiliyeu was convicted together with his son Stanislau of “group actions that grossly violate the public order” (Art. 342 of the Criminal Code). The Žlobin City and District Court sentenced him to 24 months of imprisonment and his son to 24 months under home confinement.

The man runs a construction store. It is known that his store supported the nationwide strike on October 26. The authorities forced the building owner to terminate the lease.

The political prisoner served his term in Viciebsk penal colony No. 3. He was released on November 21, 2022.

Artsiom Kandratsiyeu, 543 days in jail

Artsiom Kandratsiyeu was convicted of “defamation” (Art. 188 of the CC). On August 12, 2020, Kandratsiyeu posted on the Vkontakte social media a photo of a local police officer, Vishneuski, and information that the investigation considered offensive and false, according to the prosecution. 

On February 25, 2021, the Orša District Court sentenced Artsiom Kandratsiyeu to 18 months of freedom restriction in an open-type penal facility. 

On May 29, 2021, the convict was sent to serve his sentence at open penitentiary No. 6. The political prisoner was released on November 22, 2022.

Iryna Palianina, 575 days in jail

Iryna Palianina lives in Pastavy, Viciebsk region.

She was sentenced to 24 months of imprisonment in a general-security penal colony. Palianina was found guilty of posting an insulting comment on a social network under the photo of the local police department head (Art. 369 of the CC). She was also convicted of storing small-caliber rifle cartridges left by her dead father (Art. 295 of the CC). 

The political prisoner served her sentence in women's colony No. 24 and was released in November 2022.

Student case defendants, 749 days in jail

Ten defendants in the so-called Student case were released on November 30: students Ksenia Syramalot, Yahor Kanetski, Illia Trakhtenberg, Kasia Budzko, Yana Arabeika, Viktoryia Hrankouskaya, Anastasiya Bulybenka, Maryia Kalenik, political activist Alana Gebremariam, and professor Volha Filatchankava.

Eleven students and a university teacher were charged under part 2 of Article 17 ("a conspiracy to commit a crime") and part 1 of Article 342 of the Criminal Code ("active participation in group actions that grossly violate public order") for active participation in student protests in autumn 2020. On July 16, 2021, all defendants but one were sentenced to two and a half years in prison, and Hleb Fitsner who had pleaded guilty received two years.

Fitsner was released in May. Tatsiana Yekelchyk should be released in mid-December as she was arrested two weeks later than others.

Nine political prisoners released after sentencing

Natallia Karneyeva was released on November 2, 2022.

At least nine political prisoners were released from pre-trial detention facilities after the trials. The number may be an underestimate, as human rights defenders do not yet have all the results of the trials of political prisoners.

Aliaksandr Kukharenka was released awaiting the commencement of his 24-month open-type penitentiary sentence.

Another 11 political prisoners were sentenced to restricted freedom under home confinement and were released from custody:

Natallia Karneyeva—sentenced to three years

Maksim Stasilevich—sentenced to two and a half years

Ihar Khmara—sentenced to two and a half years

Vital Chychmarou—sentenced to three years

Sviatlana Sakovich—sentenced to three years

Aleh Falei—sentenced to 12 months

Mikhail Hromau—sentenced to two and a half years

Dzmitryi Liaukovich—sentenced to three years