Aliaksandr (Ales) Liubenchuk
journalist, sentenced to 3 years of imprisonment
Date of birth: 1 September
Date of detention: 26 May 2022
Charges indicted:
Art. 361-1 of the Criminal Code — Creation of an extremist formation, or participation in it
Sentence: 3 years
Penalty: imprisonment in a general-security penal colony
Prison sentence start date: 2 February 2023
Judge: Alena Ananich
Prison: Penal colony No. 15
Statement on the status of a political prisoner
Godparent: Nathalie Oberweis, Member of the Luxembourg Chamber of Deputies
Aliaksandr (Ales) Liubenchuk is journalist. He did a lot of charity work, helped orphans, organized tourist trips and restored the historical and cultural heritage of the Navahrudak district (Hrodna region). He was detained on May 26, 2022, after a search.
On October 27, 2022, Judge Alena Ananich of the Minsk City Court found the journalist guilty of ‘creating of or participation in an extremist formation’ under Part 3 of Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code and sentenced him to three years of imprisonment in a general-security penal colony.
On January 24, 2023, the Supreme Court considered Liubenchuk' appeal and upheld the sentence.
On February 2, the political prisoner was sent to penal colony #15 in Mahilioŭ. Immediately after his arrival, while Liubenchuk was in quarantine, the penal colony administration deprived him of parcels and visits for three months for violating the "internal regulations".
On February 17, 2023, the Ministry of Internal Affairs included Ales Liubenchuk in the 'Llist of extremists'.
