Aliaksandr Danilevich

lawyer, sentenced to 10 years in prison

Date of birth: 30 November 1974

Date of detention: 20 May 2022

Charges indicted:

Art. 361 of the Criminal Code — Calls for actions aimed at causing harm to the national security of the Republic of Belarus
Art. 361-4 of the Criminal Code — Promoting extremist activities

Sentence: 10 years

Penalty: imprisonment in a medium-security penal colony

Prison sentence start date: 11 July 2023

Judge: Tatsiana Falkouskaya

Prosecutor: Tatsiana Tsybulia

Prison: Penal colony No. 17

Godparent: Philip Krämer, Member of the German Bundestag

Aliaksandr Danilevich, a lawyer, was arrested on May 20, 2022, as a defendant in a criminal case. He was accused under Part 3 of Article 361 of the Criminal Code (Calls for actions aiming to harm the national security of Belarus).

Shortly before his detention, he signed the anti-war appeal of Belarusian lawyers concerning the war in Ukraine. Shortly after signing the petition, Danilevich faced problems at the bar, and disciplinary proceedings were initiated against him. Besides, he was fired from the International Relations Department of the Belarusian State University, despite he had worked there as a lecturer for more than 20 years.

Aliaksandr Danilevich has many children. He is fond of sports. One of his hobbies is rowing—he has several kayaks and he involved all his friends in kayaking.

In early January 2023, the case file was handed over to the prosecutor for referral to court. According to the investigation, Danilevich called for sanctions against Belarusian sports and engaged in "discrediting domestic enterprises in the eyes of foreign partners." He was charged under Part 6 of Article 16 and Part 3 of Article 361 (Assistance in calls for restrictive measures), and Part 1 of Article 361-4 of the Criminal Code (Supporting extremist activities).

According to the case file, from August 9, 2020, to May 20, 2022, Danilevich "by giving advice, instructions, and providing information and other assistance assisted the sportsmen Aliaksandra Herasimenia and Aliaksandr Apeikin in calling for actions aimed at harming the national security of the country." He "prepared and edited the text of at least three appeals from representatives of the "strike committees", in which he presented knowingly false information about the political, economic, and social situation in Belarus and called on the management of a foreign company to terminate contractual relations with their  Belarusian counterparty." Besides, Danilevich gave an interview to the "extremist" Tribuna.com sports media.

His trial began on March 10, 2023, in the Minsk City Court. Aliaksandr Danilevich pleaded not guilty and insisted that he had been fulfilling his professional duties. Prosecutor Tatsiana Tsybulia demanded 10 years imprisonment in a medium-security penal colony. On April 10, 2023, Judge Tatsiana Falkouskaya sentenced Danilevich to that punishment.

Mail address: Penal colony No. 17. 213004, Škloŭ, vulica 1-ja Zavodskaja 8

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