Siarhei Yarashevich
administrator of Army Together With the People Telegram channel; sentenced to 6 years and 3 months of imprisonment
Date of birth: 16 June 1982
Date of detention: 2 October 2020
Charges indicted:
Part 2 of Art. 293 of the Criminal Code — Participation in riots
Part 3 of Art. 293 of the Criminal code — Training or other preparation of persons for participation in mass riots, or financing of this activity
Art. 411 — Malicious disobedience to the demands of administration of the correctional institution
Sentence: 6 years and 3 month
Penalty: imprisonment in a medium-security penal colony
Judge: Siarhei Yepikhau, Mikalai Siarheika Сергейко Николай Сяргейка Мікалай
Prison: Penal colony No. 20
Statement on the status of a political prisoner
Godparent: Sean Sherlock, member of the Irish Parliament
Siarhei Yarashevich is an administrator of the 'Army Together with the People' Telegram channel. He is the husband of the political prisoner Antanina Kanavalava.
He was detained on October 2, 2020, as part of a criminal case on 'group actions that grossly violate public order' (Article 342 of the Criminal Code).
The charges stemmed from his role in running the 'Army Together with the People' Telegram channel.
On May 7, 2021, Judge Siarhei Yepikhau of the Minsk Regional Court found Yarashevich guilty of preparing to take part in mass riots and of preparing riots and sentenced him to five and a half years of imprisonment in an enhanced security penal colony.
On May 24, 2022, Yarashevich was added to the 'List of persons involved in terrorist activities'.
It is known that in August 2022, the administration of penal colony #11 placed Yarashevich in a punishment cell and then transferred him to a tighter security cell.
On January 26, 2023, in the Vaŭkavysk District Court, Yarashevich was tried under Part 1 of Art. 411 of the Criminal Code ('Malicious disobedience to requirements of penal institution administration'). Judge of Mikalai Siarheika found the political prisoner guilty and sentenced him to another nine months of imprisonment.
