Aliaksandr Ilyin
Former political prisoner
Date of birth: 22 April 1981
Date of detention: 6 January 2024
Charges indicted:
- Art. 342 of the Criminal Code — Organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them
Sentence: 2 1/2 years
Penalty: restricted freedom under home confinement ("domashnyaya khimiya")
Judge: Alena Zhyvitsa
Groups: Cultural workers
Cases: Protests in Minsk
Aliaksandr Ilyin is the vocalist of the rock band Nizkiz.
On January 6, 2024, it was reported that three members of the band had been detained. Vocalist and songwriter Aliaksandr Ilyin, bass guitarist Siarhei Kulsha, and drummer Dzmitry Khaliaukin were detained in Mahilioŭ. The band members continued to reside in Belarus, occasionally traveling abroad for concerts.
On January 8, 2024, the musicians were tried in the Leninski District Court of Mahilioŭ under Article 19.11 of the Administrative Code for distributing extremist materials. The case was presided over by Judge Viktoryia Paliakova. A video with the detained band members was published by the GUBOPiK. The detainees were forced to confess that "they went outside to participate in the riots and sang songs for the protesters and for Belsat" and "they would spend the next five years singing in prison". They were also forced to sing a line from their famous song, the video for which was filmed during the protests.
It has been reported that the musicians are facing criminal charges under Part 1 of Article 342 of the Criminal Code (Preparation of actions that grossly violate public order).
