Anatol Mikhailau
Date of birth: 28 October 1992
Date of detention: 8 April 2022
Charges indicted:
Art. 369 of the Criminal Code — Insulting a government official
Art. 368 of the Criminal Code — Insulting the President of the Republic of Belarus
Art. 130 of the Criminal Code — Incitement to hatred
Article 361-3 of the Criminal Code — Participation or preparing to participate in hostilities on foreign soil by a Republic of Belarus citizen
Sentence: 4 years
Penalty: imprisonment in a general-security penal colony
Judge: Halina Bondal
Prison: Penal colony No. 15
Statement on the status of a political prisoner
Anatol Mikhailau was sentenced to four years of imprisonment in a general-security penal colony for his publications in Telegram channels and registration in a deemed ‘extremist’ Telegram chat. The court considered it as ‘incitement to hatred’ (Part 1 of Article 130 of the Criminal Code), ‘participation in an extremist formation’ (Part 3 of Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code), ‘organization of riots’ (Part 1 of Article 293 of the Criminal Code), ‘insult of the President’ (Part 1 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code), and ‘insult of a government official’ (Article 369 of the Criminal Code). He was also ordered a fine of 3,200 Belarusian rubles ($1,260).
