Larysa Shchyrakova was convicted for promoting extremist activities and discrediting Belarus
- Larysa Shchyrakova in court.
On August 31, the Homel Regional Court handed down a harsh sentence to journalist and cultural activist Larysa Shchyrakova. She was accused of art. 369-1 of the Criminal Code (discrediting the Republic of Belarus), Part 1 and Part 2 of Article 361-4 of the Criminal Code (promotion of extremist activity and the same action carried out repeatedly).
The trial conducted by the judge Mikalai Dolia started on July 27 and was held behind closed doors.
According to the investigation materials, Larysa Shchyrakova “from August 2020 to December 2022, using the tense public situation and seeking to destabilize the situation in the country, posted materials with deliberately false data that discredited the Republic of Belarus.”
According to the prosecutor's office, she "collected, created, processed, stored, and transmitted information for further use in order to ensure the extremist activities of the Viasna information resource and the Belsat extremist formation."
A political prisoner Larysa Shchyrakova was detained on the evening of December 6, 2022 after a search in her house. Her minor son was placed in a shelter. The ex-husband of the political prisoner, who has been living in Russia for the last few years, collected the necessary documents and took Svyataslau from the shelter on December 23. Other relatives were not allowed to do that.
On August 24, the court heard the arguments. The prosecution invited the court to punish Shchyrakova with three and a half years of captivity, believing that her guilt was confirmed during the trial.
On August 31, judge Mikalai Dolia found Larysa Shchyrakova guilty and sentenced her to three and a half years of imprisonment in a general-regime penal colony. Her property was partially confiscated.
She also needs to pay a fine of 3,700 roubles. Details are being clarified.
Support Larysa: SIZO-3. 246003, Gomel, vul. Knizhnaja, 1a, Larysa Fiodarauna Shchyrakova.
