Anatol Puhach
sentenced to 1 year of imprisonment
Former prisoner
Date of birth: 1 June 1994
Date of detention: 13 December 2022
Charges indicted:
- Art. 368 of the Criminal Code — Insulting the President of the Republic of Belarus
Sentence: 1 year
Penalty: imprisonment in a general-security penal colony
Prison sentence start date: 17 March 2023
Date of release: 23 October 2023
Judge: Aksana Litvinchyk
Anatol Puhach was detained when he arrived in Belarus to undergo an examination: he was diagnosed with cancer. First, he was sentenced to several days of arrest under Article 19.11 of the Administrative Code ('Dissemination of extremist materials'). By the end of the administrative arrest, he was charged under Art. 368 of the Criminal Code ('Contempt of the president of Belarus') and placed in custody.
On January 23, 2023, Judge Paulouskaya refused to change the preventive measure to house arrest and left Anatol Puhach in custody.
On February 21, 2023, the Baranavičy City and District Court heard the case of the political prisoner. Judge Aksana Litvinchyk sentenced Anatol Puhach to 12 months of imprisonment in a general-security penal colony.
The appeal against the verdict took place on March 17, 2023, in the Supreme Court.
Anatol was released from prison on October 23, 2023.
