68-year-old pensioner sentenced to three and a half years in prison for helping political prisoners

On August 8, the Brest Regional Court sentenced political prisoner Natallia Malets under Parts 1 and 2 of Article 361-4 (promoting extremist activities) of the Criminal Code. Judge Ruslan Sianko sentenced Natallia to three years and six months in a penal colony.

The verdict was reported by the dissidentby initiative.

Natallia was already convicted in January 2023 for making comments to a government official under Article 369 of the Criminal Code. Then the woman was sentenced to one and a half years of home confinement ("domashnyaya khimiya"). In September of the same year, Natallia was arrested again in a new criminal case. The law enforcement authorities were interested in the woman's 'suspicious activity in money transfers'. Investigators allegedly found out that the pensioner had made at least 125 transfers to 114 Belarusians in the amount of more than 1,500 rubles. The woman was also allegedly involved in a closed Facebook group "Letters of Solidarity Belarus 2020," which was recognized by the authorities as an "extremist formation".

Natallia's place of detention: Pre-trial detention center No. 7, 224030, Brest, vulica Savieckich pamiežnikaŭ 37. Natallia Malets