Andrei Raptunovich
artist
Date of birth: 18 June 2002
Date of detention: 16 May 2022
Charges indicted:
Art. 361-1 of the Criminal Code — Creation of an extremist formation, or participation in it
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
Prison sentence start date: 3 March 2023
Judge: Siarhei Khrypach
Prison: Penal colony No. 1
Statement on the status of a political prisoner
Godparent: Marcel Emmerich, Member of German Parliament
Andrei Raptunovich is an artist who taught at an additional education center in Minsk. Andrei was detained on May 16, 2022.
It is known that he was sentenced to 14 days of arrest under Part 2, Article 19.11 of the Administrative Code (distribution of extremist materials) and was to be released on May 29, but a new protocol was drawn up for him. Then Andrei was sentenced to 15 days of arrest under Article 19.1 of the Administrative Code (disorderly conduct).
A criminal case was opened against him under two articles of the Criminal Code:
- Part 3 Article 361-1 (participation in an extremist formation);
- Part 1 of Article 13 of Article 361-3 (preparation of a citizen of the Republic of Belarus to participate in the warfare on the territory of a foreign country without authorization of the state).
On 14 November 2022, the political prisoner was sentenced to four years of imprisonment in Minsk City Court.
