Aksana Yuryeva

sentenced to 1 1/2 years of imprisonment

Date of birth: 27 January 1976

Date of detention: 17 October 2022

Charges indicted:

Art. 368 of the Criminal Code — Insulting the President of the Republic of Belarus

Sentence: 1 1/2 years

Penalty: imprisonment in a general-security penal colony

Date of release: 20 January 2024

Judge: Natallia Yasenka

Aksana Yuryeva is from Mahilioŭ.

On January 16, 2023, in the Kastryčnicki District Court of Mahilioŭ, Judge Natallia Yasenka found her guilty of insulting Aliaksandr Lukashenka under Article 368 of the Criminal Code ('Contempt of the President of Belarus').

According to the case file, "while at her place of residence, the 46-year-old defendant, using her mobile phone and her Facebook account, published material with Lukashenka's image on the Internet. In that material, she, speaking obscenely, gave a negative assessment of the president's personality, which humiliated his honor and dignity".

Aksana Yuryeva admitted her guilt. She was sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment in a general-security penal colony.

It is known that Aksana Yuryeva was arrested in October 2022. The employees of the 11th Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption (GUBAZiK, Mahilioŭ) forced her to repent in a video that she had been supporting Ukraine since the beginning of the war and actively posting comments on that topic. In one of her comments, she allegedly insulted Lukashenka. After her arrest, the law enforcers posted the state red-green flag and pro-government slogans on her social media accounts.

Aksana Yuryeva was included in the 'List of citizens of Belarus, foreign citizens, and stateless persons involved in extremist activities'.

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