"We will return to the country together with constitutional legality": Leanid Sudalenka on the police wanted list in Belarus

Convicted in absentia human rights activist Leanid Sudalenka on the police wanted list in Belarus. His photo appeared on Homieĺ stands "Wanted by the police". The human rights defender communicated with the prosecutor's office and the Homieĺ Court during the investigation and preparation of the trial and did not hide his current place of residence.

On June 17, the Homieĺ Regional Court concluded the trial of former political prisoner, lawyer and human rights defender Leanid Sudalenka in absentia. A new criminal case in the form of a special trial was opened in November 2023. Leanid was charged under Parts 1 and 2 of Article 361-4 ('Promoting extremist activities') of the Criminal Code. He was ultimately sentenced to five years' imprisonment in a high security penal colony and a fine of 650 basic units.

Commenting on the situation, Leanid Sudalenka said:

"The repression against me, as a human rights defender, started because I defended and supported the protesters in 2020. Then Belarusians all over the country came out to defend the constitution, and the regime responded with unprecedented violence and repression. As a result of a closed and unfair trial, I was also thrown into prison.

When I was released, I did not remain silent, I went public so that the issue of repressions and conditions of detention of political prisoners in Belarusian prisons could be spread as widely as possible throughout the world. And in response, I received new criminal charges and a new prison sentence. Like others who left the country because of security reasons and obvious political repression, I was put on the wanted list! This means that if I return, I will be immediately arrested with a high risk of torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.

And our response should be this: we do not need to be wanted, we need to restore constitutional legality to the country, and we will return with it. The struggle for freedom, human rights and democracy never ends!"

Leanid Sudalenka is the third human rights defender to be declared wanted. Previously, human rights defenders Ihar Kazmerchak from Orša and Alena Masliukova from Svetlahorsk were declared wanted.

Vasil Rybchynski is also named in the notice. He is accused of joining an extremist group for the purpose of committing an extremist crime (Part 3 of Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code).