The Minsk Regional Court sentenced philosopher, political prisoner and founder of the Flying University Uladzimir Matskevich to five years in a reinforced regime, the PEN Center of Belarus reports on its telegram channel on Thursday, June 23.
The court found Matskevich guilty of gross violation of order (Part 1 of Article 342 of the Criminal Code), leadership of an extremist group (Part 1 of Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code) and insulting Lukashenka (Part 1 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code).
Philosopher was detained August 4, 2021. He was charged with organizing and preparing actions that grossly violate public order. In April of this year, his case was sent to court. The political prisoner was eventually charged for participating in the “March of the People’s Ultimatum” in October 2020, for creating a platform of people’s representatives “Skhod” and for a video on the YouTube channel “insulting Lukashenko.”
Matskevich himself in an interview with D.W. from the pre-trial detention center in Minsk said that not a single action or deed was named in his accusation, there was not a single episode. “I understand that my articles, statements, ideas and thoughts became the basis for the arrest, that is, they are going to judge me for Orwell’s “thought crime,” the philosopher wrote.
“Macekvich is a very uncomfortable philosopher”
The Viasna Human Rights Center called Matskevich a political prisoner because he was arrested for his beliefs. In the 90s, Matskevich was also involved in the reform of education in Belarus, and since then he has been associated with many significant human rights projects in Belarus – he was the founder of the Humanitarian Technologies Agency, the Flying University, the EuroBelarus consortium, he repeatedly wrote open letters to the Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko.
Established in 2007, EuroBelarus is the national coordinator of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum for Belarus. The organization sees its mission in supporting “the pro-European development of Belarus as a full-fledged subject of European relations at all possible levels.” Vladimir Matskevich from 2011 to 2016 was the first head of the Rada, the executive body of EuroBelarus.
“Matskevich is a very uncomfortable philosopher who asks a lot of questions, offers solutions and knows where to go,” described its coordinator of the “Flying University” Tatyana Vodolazhskaya.
See also:
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Political prisoners in Belarus – prisoners of the Lukashenka regime
Record for political prisoners in Belarus
Over 1,000 – such a record number of political prisoners in the country’s history – is quoted by the Viasna human rights center. Among those who ended up in prison due to political persecution are participants in the presidential campaign, volunteers from their headquarters, social activists, businessmen, bloggers and journalists, human rights activists, political analysts, workers, students and many other critics of the Lukashenka regime.
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Political prisoners in Belarus – prisoners of the Lukashenka regime
Viktor and Eduard Babariko
A contender for the presidency, the former head of Belgazprombank, Viktor Babariko, could become Lukashenka’s strongest rival in the elections. He was detained along with his son Eduard, who led his initiative group, in June 2020 on charges of money laundering, taking bribes and tax evasion. On July 6, 2021, Viktar Babariko was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
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Political prisoners in Belarus – prisoners of the Lukashenka regime
Maria Kolesnikova
Musician and art director Maria Kolesnikova led the election headquarters of Viktor Babariko. Then she became one of the “three graces” who headed the Joint Headquarters of the Opposition. Member of the Presidium of the Coordinating Council. She was kidnapped and brought to the border with Ukraine for deportation from the country. But she tore her passport and thwarted this operation. In September 2021, she was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
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Political prisoners in Belarus – prisoners of the Lukashenka regime
Jail for legal aid
Lawyer of Viktor Babariko’s headquarters, member of the Presidium of the Coordinating Council Maxim Znak (pictured) and Maria Kolesnikova’s lawyer Ilya Salei were detained in September 2020 in the case of public calls for actions to the detriment of national security. Ilya Salei was released on bail in April. Maxim Znak became a defendant in a criminal case on the seizure of power. In September 2021, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
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Political prisoners in Belarus – prisoners of the Lukashenka regime
Sergei Tikhanovsky
The author of the popular YouTube channel “Country for Life” Sergei Tikhanovsky wanted to run for the presidency of the Republic of Belarus, but was detained before the start of the election campaign. As a result, his wife Svetlana put forward her candidacy. Having been released after an administrative arrest, he helped collect signatures for her, but in May 2020 he was detained. In December 2021, at a closed trial, he was sentenced to 18 years.
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Political prisoners in Belarus – prisoners of the Lukashenka regime
Activists of the “Country for Life”
As part of the “Country for Life” project, Tikhanovsky traveled to the regions of Belarus and gave the opportunity to local residents to talk about their problems. Opposition politician Mikalai Statkevich – 14 years in prison, cameraman Artem Sakov and social media moderator Dmitry Popov – 16 years, bloggers Vladimir Tsyganovich and Igor Losik – 15 years in a high-security colony were also convicted in the “Tikhanovskiy case”.
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Political prisoners in Belarus – prisoners of the Lukashenka regime
Igor Losik
The creator of the Belarus Brain Telegram channel, Igor Losik, actively covered the events surrounding the election campaign of the President of Belarus. Arrested in June 2020. He was accused of organizing and preparing actions to the detriment of public order. Then – in “preparation for participation in riots.” In 2020, as a sign of protest, he held two hunger strikes, the first for more than 40 days.
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Political prisoners in Belarus – prisoners of the Lukashenka regime
Bloggers behind bars
Other bloggers were also subjected to political persecution. Sergei Petrukhin (pictured) and Alexander Kabanov (“People’s Reporter”) – 3 years in prison. Sergei Korshun and Sergei Yaroshevich (“Army with the people”) – 4.5 and 5.5 years. Vladimir Neronsky (“Slutsk for Life”) – 3 years, Dmitry Kozlov (“Grey Cat”) – 5 years, Denis Gutin (“Drivers-97”) – 2.5 years. Nikolai Dedok – 5 years old. There is a trial over Eduard Palchis.
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Political prisoners in Belarus – prisoners of the Lukashenka regime
Leaders of the “old” opposition
Co-founder of the Belarusian Christian Democracy party Pavel Severinets (pictured) was detained in June 2020 after pickets to collect signatures for the nomination of presidential candidates. Later he was given 7 years in prison. The Belarusian Popular Front party leader Grigory Kostusev is accused by the authorities of attempting a coup d’état. He has been in jail since April 2021. He was diagnosed with cancer behind bars.
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Political prisoners in Belarus – prisoners of the Lukashenka regime
Human rights activists under the gun of the authorities
Human rights activists were also persecuted by the Belarusian authorities. Employees of the Viasna human rights center are in custody, including its head Ales Byalyatsky (pictured) and deputy Valyantsin Stefanovich. Prominent human rights activist Leonid Sudalenko paid fines for people detained for taking part in the protests. He was sentenced to 3 years in prison.
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Political prisoners in Belarus – prisoners of the Lukashenka regime
Independent media staff
Media manager Andrei Alexandrov (pictured) was detained on suspicion of financing the protests. He paid the protesters’ fines. About 30 media representatives are now in custody, including the Tut.by portal and Nasha Niva. Employees of the “Press Club” spent 8 months in a pre-trial detention center. Since December 2020, ex-BT journalist Ksenia Lutskina, who is experiencing serious health problems, has been in custody.
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Political prisoners in Belarus – prisoners of the Lukashenka regime
Katerina Borisevich
Journalists also became victims of political repressions. Katerina Borisevich (Tut.by portal) spent 6 months in prison. In her article, she wrote that there was no alcohol in the blood of Roman Bondarenko, who died after being beaten by Lukashenka’s supporters, contrary to the authorities’ claims. This information was given to her by Artyom Sorokin, an emergency hospital doctor, now also a political prisoner.
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Political prisoners in Belarus – prisoners of the Lukashenka regime
Katerina Andreeva and Daria Chultsova
Journalists of the Polish TV channel Belsat Kateryna Andreyeva and Daria Chultsova were streaming during the brutal crackdown by the security forces of the protesters in the Minsk courtyard, known as the “Square of Changes” – and received two years in prison. They were accused of organizing and preparing actions grossly violating public order.
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Political prisoners in Belarus – prisoners of the Lukashenka regime
Student activists
For protests, students were expelled or subjected to administrative arrests. And 12 defendants in the “case of students”, including the traitor of BSUIR Olga Filachenkova and a graduate of the medical university Alan Gebremariam (pictured), were accused of “active participation in group actions that grossly violate public order” and were imprisoned for a term of 2 to 2.5 years.
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Political prisoners in Belarus – prisoners of the Lukashenka regime
Disproportionate response to protesters
Several dozen political prisoners are accused of participating in mass riots or using violence against police officers. According to human rights activists, peaceful protests did not pose a threat to national or public security. Separate cases of violence against the police require a separate legal qualification – in the context of self-defense against disproportionate actions of the security forces.
Author: Yanina Moroz
