Andrei Kuznechyk
freelance journalist, sentenced to 6 years of imprisonment
Date of birth: 29 December 1978
Date of detention: 25 November 2021
Charges indicted:
Art. 361-1 of the Criminal Code — Creation of an extremist formation, or participation in it
Sentence: 6 years
Penalty: imprisonment in a medium-security penal colony
Judge: Ihar Shvedau
Prison: Penal colony No. 1
Statement on the status of a political prisoner
Godparent: Lars Rohwer, member of the German Bundestag
Andrei Kuznechyk is a freelance journalist for Radio Svaboda.
He was detained on November 25, 2021. His apartment was searched. After the detention, the law enforcers briefly managed to seize control over the Telegram channel “Radio Svaboda”. The next day Andrei Kuznechyk was sentenced to 10 days of administrative imprisonment by the Zavodski District Court of Minsk, but on December 5, he was not released and was again sentenced to 10 days of administrative imprisonment by the same court. However, on 15 December he was not released, either.
On December 23, Andrei's relatives were informed that a criminal case was brought against him, but no information was given as to what article the criminal case was based on. Kuznechyk was transferred to pre-trial detention center no. 1 on Valadarskaha Street in Minsk.
On June 8, 2022, the Mahilioŭ Regional Court considered in the closed-door trial the criminal case against freelance journalist for Radio Freedom Europe/Radio Liberty and political prisoner Andrei Kuznechyk who was accused of ‘creation of an extremist formation’ (Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code).
Judge Ihar Shvedau found Andrei guilty and sentenced him to six years of imprisonment in a medium-security penal colony.