Andrei Famin
sentenced to 7 years of imprisonment
Date of birth: 3 November 1993
Date of detention: 26 October 2022
Charges indicted:
Art. 342 of the Criminal Code — Organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them
Art. 361 of the Criminal Code — Calls for actions aimed at causing harm to the national security of the Republic of Belarus
Art. 361-1 of the Criminal Code — Creation of an extremist formation, or participation in it
Sentence: 7 years
Penalty: imprisonment in a medium-security penal colony
Judge: Anzhela Kastsiukevich
Prison: Penal colony No. 17
Statement on the status of a political prisoner
Andrei Famin was arrested on October 26, 2022, on charges of 'active participation in group actions grossly disrupting public order' (Article 342 of the Criminal Code).
It is known that he comes from Mahilioŭ and lives in Minsk. He graduated from the Belarusian State Academy of Arts and worked as a copywriter.
His trial began on June 15, 2023, in the Minsk City Court. Andrei Famin was accused under three articles of the Criminal Code: Part 3 of Article 361 ('Calls for restrictive measures (sanctions) and other actions aiming to harm the national security of Belarus'), Part 1 of Article 342 ('Participation in actions grossly disrupting public order'), and Part 3 of Article 361-1 ('Creating an extremist formation').
On June 21, 2023, Andrei Famin was sentenced to seven years of imprisonment in a medium-security penal colony. After his arrest, he was reported to have allegedly been an editor and author of articles for the Vesniki self-publishing network that was recognized as an "extremist organization" a month and a half after his arrest. Besides, he was accused of participating in the protest March on August 30, 2020. The sentence was pronounced by Judge Anzhela Kastsiukevich. Three sessions were held during the trial.
