Severe sentence for political prisoner with stage-IV cancer

On June 7, Viliejka District Court pronounced the verdict in a case against political prisoner Pavel Kuchynski, who was accused of insulting Aliaksandr Lukashenka, a government official and a judge, as well as of violence or threat of violence against an officer of internal affairs.

The case was considered by Judge Kanstantsin Kaliadau, deputy district prosecutor Andrei Zhukouski represented the state prosecution.

Pavel Kuchynski was accused under five articles of the Criminal Code:

• Article 389 (threat to a judge or lay judge);
• Article 369 (insulting a government official),
• Article 364 (violence or threat of violence against an employee of the internal affairs bodies);
• Part 1 of Article 368 (insulting the President of the Republic of Belarus);
• Article 391 (insulting a judge).

Despite the fact that Pavel suffers from stage-IV cancer, he was placed in Žodzina pre-trial detention center until the trial.

Kuchynski is a Catholic believer. He is very fond of music. He graduated from the music school in the class of piano.

On the totality of articles by partial addition of punishments, the judge decided to impose a final sentence of five years of imprisonment in a medium-security penal colony.

Kuchynski also has to pay compensation for moral damage to the head of the Maladziečna district police department Vadzim Pryhar in the amount of 1,500 rubles (about 450 US dollars) and to the assistant commander of the Maladziečna district police squad Henadz Filistovich 1,000 rubles (about 300 US dollars).