Andrei Tolchyn
Former prisoner
Date of birth: 13 July 1959
Date of detention: 27 September 2023
Charges indicted:
- Art. 367 of the Criminal Code — Slander against the President of the Republic of Belarus
- Art. 361-4 of the Criminal Code — Promoting extremist activities
Sentence: 2 1/2 years
Penalty: imprisonment in a general-security penal colony
Date of release: 16 September 2024
Judge: Dzmitryi Kazlou
Notes: Health issues, Pardon / amnesty, Retirement age
Groups: Journalists
Andrei Tolchyn founded Homelskiye Vedomosti, a newspaper in the city of Homieĺ, and worked as a freelance journalist for various independent publications. Since 2017, Tolchyn has faced repeated detentions and trials in connection with his journalistic activities. Following the 2020 protests, he decided to stop working and to resign.
On September 27, 2023, former journalist Andrei Tolchyn was arrested in Homieĺ. The next day, the law enforcement officers searched his apartment. His computer equipment and other digital devices were confiscated. Tolchyn was transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 3 and a criminal case was initiated against him.
Andrei is cahrged under Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code (creation of an extremist formation or participation in it).
He was pardoned and released on September 16, 2024.
