Alena Lazarchyk
activist, sentenced to 8 years of imprisonment
Date of birth: 19 July 1974
Date of detention: 30 December 2021
Charges indicted:
Art. 342 of the Criminal Code — Organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them
Art. 368 of the Criminal Code — Insulting the President of the Republic of Belarus
Art. 361-1 of the Criminal Code — Creation of an extremist formation, or participation in it
Art. 130 of the Criminal Code — Incitement to hatred
Sentence: 8 years
Penalty: imprisonment in a general-security penal colony
Prison sentence start date: 24 January 2023
Judge: Pavel Klimau
Prison: Penal colony No. 4
Statement on the status of a political prisoner
Godparent: Nyke Slawik, member of the German Bundestag
Alena Lazarchyk is an activist of the European Belarus opposition group. She was detained on December 30, 2021, as a defendant in a criminal case on 'group actions grossly breaching public order' (Article 342 of the Criminal Code). Later, she was also charged with Part 1 of Art. 368 ('Contempt the president of Belarus'), Part 3 of Art. 130 ('Inciting racial, national, religious or other social hatred or enmity'), and Part 1 of Art. 361-1 ('Creation of extremist formation or participation in it').
On January 7, 2022, Lazarchyk was transferred to remand prison #1 in Minsk.
On July 22, 2022, the KGB added Alena Lazarchyk to the 'List of persons involved in terrorist activities'.
In late August, she was transferred to the prison in Mahilioŭ. On September 12, 2022, the trial began in the Mahilioŭ Regional Court. Judge Pavel Klimau decided to hold the court sessions behind closed doors. On September 19, the political prisoner was sentenced to 8 years of imprisonment in a general-security penal colony. On December 2, the appeal was considered and the sentence was upheld.
It is known that the administration of prison #4 in Mahilioŭ placed the political prisoner in a punishment cell until December 4 (it is unknown for how long).
On December 9, 2022, the Ministry of Internal Affairs included the political prisoner into the 'List of citizens of Belarus, foreign citizens or stateless persons involved in extremist activities'.
In January 2023, Alena Lazarchyk was transferred to women's penal colony #4 in Homieĺ.
The lawyer has not been allowed to visit the political prisoner for a long time. Her relatives have no updates about her health.
It is known that letters have not been received from Alena for two months. This may indicate that she was sent back to a punishment cell (SHIZO).
