Political prisoner Zmitser Dashkevich sentenced to an additional 1 year and 3 months of imprisonment

In September, the Peršamajski District Court of Minsk heard another criminal case against political prisoner Zmitser Dashkevich. This time, the activist was charged under Article 342 of the Criminal Code (active participation in group actions that grossly violate public order), as well as Part 1 of Article 411 of the Criminal Code (malicious disobedience to the requirements of the penal colony administration). Judge Anastasiya Kulik found him guilty and sentenced him to an additional year and three months in a penal colony.

Recall that at first the activist, along with his wife Anastasiya, was accused of participating in a protest on August 23, 2020. On July 14, 2022, Zmitser was sentenced to 1.5 years in a penal colony, and Nastsia was sentenced to 3 years of home confinement.

The activist was supposed to be released from penal colony No. 14 upon the ending of his term on July 11, 2023. But immediately after being released, he was detained as part of a new criminal case under Article 411 of the Criminal Code. A year ago, judge Tatsiana Dzeravianka sentenced the political prisoner to an additional year in a high security penal colony.

This May, a new criminal case was initiated against him under Article 342 of the Criminal Code for participating in protest actions. But later, right during the trial, another article was added to the case: for "disobeying the administration of the penal colony" (Article 411 of the Criminal Code). At the end of September, judge Anastasiya Kulik found him guilty and added another year and three months in a high security penal colony to the previous term. Nasha Niva has learnt about this from family friends.