News on the topic: defamation
26.11.2020 Student sentenced to 18 months in prison for insulting OMON chief
The Frunzienski District Court of Minsk sentenced today Illia Tananka, a 19-year-old student at Minsk State Linguistic University, to 18 months of imprisonment for allegedly publicly insulting Dzmitry Balaba, commanding officer of OMON, a special police unit known for its involvement in acts of violence against peaceful protesters.
03.03.2020 YouTube vlogger charged with assault of police officer over abusive comment
Volha Zhurauskaya, a Viciebsk-based blogger running a YouTube channel called “Shooting is Allowed”, has been charged with assault of an official (Art. 369 of the Criminal Code).
14.08.2019 Dzmitry Paliyenka case brought to trial
The case of former political prisoner and Amnesty International’s prisoner of conscience Dzmitry Paliyenka has been submitted to the Minsk City Court. The trial will open in early September.
18.04.2019 Critical blogger awarded heavy fine in police defamation trial
Blogger Siarhei Piatrukhin has been found guilty of slander and insult in a trial that was completed today in Brest.
09.04.2019 Belsat TV office raided by police
Police officers have searched the Minsk-based office of the TV channel Belsat, Belarusian Association of Journalists said.
02.04.2019 Immediately stop prosecution of blogger Siarhei Piatrukhin
Joint statement by human rights and other civil society organizations
06.04.2017 Aliaksandr Lapitski released from mental hospital
Aliaksandr Lapitski has been released from psychiatric hospital after spending more than five months by order of the Frunzienski District Court of Minsk, which found him guilty of several defamation offenses in April 2016.
15.11.2016 Viasna demands to release Aliaksandr Lapitski from psychiatric hospital and to decriminalize defamation offenses
On November 14, it became known that Aliaksandr Lapitski, 80, was forcibly sent to a psychiatric hospital, after a court decision in the criminal case against him had entered into force.
13.04.2016 Citizen Sentenced to Forced Medical Treatment for Insult of President and Judges
On April 12, the Frunzenski district court of Minsk found Aliaksandr Lapitski guilty according to articles 368, 369 and 361 of the Criminal Code of Belarus (public insult against the president, public officials and judges while performing professional duties).
13.04.2016 Viasna calls to repeal criminal defamation
The Human Rights Center "Viasna" insists on the decriminalization of acts committed by Aliaksandr Lapitski, and calls for the termination of criminal prosecution for defamation offenses, considering as a first step the abolition of Articles 367, 368, 369, 369-1, 391 of the Criminal Code.
