Political prisoner previously convicted for liking the post is retried. He now faces up to 15 years in prison.
On September 2, the Brest Regional Court began a new trial of Yauhen Kladau, a 41-year-old political prisoner, who was sentenced in November 2023 to one year's imprisonment for "insulting Lukashenka". After serving the first sentence, the man was not released from the penal colony, but a new criminal case was opened for messages and comments on the Internet under six articles of the Criminal Code, including "calls for sanctions" and "organizing mass riots". Before the second trial, Yauhen was added to the "terrorist list", which restricted his money transfers. The case is being considered in a closed court session by Mikalai Sianko.
Yauhen is being tried under several articles of the Criminal Code:
- Part 3 of Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code (creation of an extremist formation, or participation in it);
- Article 130 of the Criminal Code (incitement to hatred);
- Part 3 of Article 361 of the Criminal Code (calls for actions aimed at causing harm to the national security of the Republic of Belarus);
- Part 1 of Article 293 of the Criminal Code (organization of mass riots);
- Article 369 (insulting a government official);
- Part 1 of Article 368 (insulting Lukashenka).
According to the articles, the case concerns comments and posts on the Internet. Yauhen faces up to 15 years in prison.
The political prisoner has been in custody since August 30, 2023. On November 24, 2023, the Court of Baranavičy sentenced him to one year in a penal colony for liking the post with the caricatures of Lukashenka on Odnoklassniki (social media). Yauhen was added to the "terrorist list" in mid-July 2024.
