Viktar Tsarykevich
sentenced to 1 year in prison, released
Date of birth: 3 March 1982
Date of detention: 11 November 2020
Charges indicted:
Part 2 of Art. 339 of the Criminal Code — Hooliganism committed by a group of persons
Art. 369 of the Criminal Code — Insulting a government official
Part 1 of Art. 339 of the Criminal Code — Hooliganism
Sentence: 1 year
Penalty: imprisonment in a general-security penal colony
Date of release: 22 August 2021
Judge: Vital Sinila
Viktar Tsarykevich is a resident of Masty convicted of hooliganism (Parts 1 and 2 of Art. 339) and insulting a government official (Art. 369 of the Criminal Code).
According to the case file, Tsarykevich posted an "indecent and humiliating comment" in a Telegram chat in August last year under a photo of the chairman of the Masty district executive committee Yury Valiavaty. His actions were qualified under Art. 369 of the Criminal Code (public insult of a government official) of the Criminal Code. The article does not provide for imprisonment.
Also, according to the indictment, Viktar Tsarykevich held a series of actions in September-October 2020, which, according to the prosecutor's office, were marked by "exceptional cynicism". In particular, Tsarykevich painted several white-red-white lines on the road near three villages in the Masty district. He then hang effigies in police uniforms at bus stop shelters.
In a forest outside the town, he allegedly painted white-red-white flags on 33 trees. He also placed plaques resembling tombstones "with inscriptions showing contempt for state order" in the field and placed nearby a coffin with a police effigy.
These actions were qualified under Part 1 and Part 2 of Art. 339 of the Criminal Code (hooliganism and malicious hooliganism).
On January 27, Judge Vital Sinila of the Masty District Court sentenced Tsarykevich to one year in a penal colony.
On August 22, 2021, Viktar Tsarykevich was released after serving his sentence.