Andrei Budai
sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment
Date of birth: 23 March 1978
Date of detention: 5 July 2021
Charges indicted:
Art. 361 of the Criminal Code — Calls for actions aimed at causing harm to the national security of the Republic of Belarus
Art. 130 of the Criminal Code — Incitement to hatred
Art. 290-4 of the Criminal Code — Establishing or participating in an organization for the purpose of terrorist activity
Art. 359 of the Criminal Code — Terrorist act against a state official or public figure
Sentence: 15 years
Penalty: imprisonment in a medium-security penal colony
Prison sentence start date: 1 April 2023
Judge: Anastasiya Papko
Prosecutor: Yuliya Laneuskaya
Prison: Penal colony No. 2
Statement on the status of a political prisoner
Godparent: Nicolas Walder, Member of the Swiss National Council
Andrei Budai is a defendant in the high-profile Flying Storks case. Judge Anastasiya Papko sentenced him to 15 years of imprisonment in a medium-security penal colony and a fine of 16,000 Belarusian rubles (equivalent to $6,300).
Other defendants in this case were Aliaksei Ivanisau, Aliaksei Hameza, Mikalai Biblis, Aliaksandr Murauyou, and Aliaksandr Sidarenka.
Depending on the role of each of them they were charged in different permutations with:
- participation in actions that grossly violate the public order (part 1 of article 342 of the CC)
- participation in a terrorist organization (part 2 of article 290-4 of the CC)
- act of terrorism against a state official (part 1 of article 359 of the CC)
- intentional damage to property (part 1 of article 218 of the CC)
- incitement of hatreed (part 3 of article 130 of the CC)
- calls for sanctions (part 3 of article 361 of the CC)
On November 30, 2021, the Supreme Court declared the association Supraciŭ (Bel. ‘Resistance’) and its subdivisions including Busly liaciać (bel. ‘Flying Storks’) initiative terrorist.
Before the trial, on May 13, 2022, it became known that Aliaksei Ivanisau, Aliaksei Hameza, Andrei Budai and Aliaksandr Murauyou were put on the terrorist list of the KGB. The reason for their inclusion in the list was the charges of act of terrorism against a state official brought against them under Article 359 of the Criminal Code.
