Andrei Sharenda
opposition activist, left Belarus
Former prisoner
Date of birth: 22 December 1982
Date of detention: 31 May 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. 368 of the Criminal Code — Insulting the President of the Republic of Belarus
Prison: House arrest
Andrei Sharenda is an opposiiton activist based in Brest.
He was charged under Art. 368 of the Criminal Code (insulting the president) and Art. 361 (appeals to actions aimed at harming the national security of the Republic of Belarus).
The case for insulting the president was initiated after an interview with Andrei of March 29, 2021, which, according to the prosecutor's office, contained calls for protests on his behalf, as well as expressions that publicly insulted Lukashenka.
Andrei's wife, activist Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk, is in custody on criminal charges of violence against police officers, insulting the president and officials. The family has two children.
On May 31, 2021, Andrei Sharenda was placed under house arrest.
The trial was scheduled for June 18. However, Sharenda did not appear in court and Judge Filonik put him on a wanted list. It was later revealed that Sharenda had left Belarus.
