Anatol Matsulevich
sentenced to 7 1/2 years of imprisonment
Date of birth: 16 October 1969
Date of detention: 11 June 2021
Charges indicted:
Part 3 of Art. 293 of the Criminal code — Training or other preparation of persons for participation in mass riots, or financing of this activity
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: 7 1/2 years
Penalty: imprisonment in a general-security penal colony
Judge: Yauhen Burunou
Prison: Penal colony No. 15
Statement on the status of a political prisoner
Anatol Matsulevich was sentenced to seven years and six months in a penal colony under Part 1 Article 361-1 (establishing an extremist formation), Part 3 Article 130 (incitement to hatred), Part 3 Article 293 (training or other preparation of persons to participate in mass riots) for creating and administrating a protest Telegram channel. The Ministry of Internal Affairs recognized the channel as an extremist formation on November 26, 2021. However, Matsulevich was detained five months earlier, on June 11, 2021. The case was considered in a closed court session.
On April 18 the Supreme Court considered Matsulevich's appeal, but left it without satisfaction.
