Artsiom Paulechka
sentenced to 3 years in prison, released after serving full sentence
Former prisoner
Date of birth: 14 January 2000
Date of detention: 14 July 2020
Charges indicted:
- Art. 342 of the Criminal Code — Organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them
- Art. 364 of the Criminal Code — Violence or threat of violence against an employee of the internal affairs bodies
Sentence: 3 years
Penalty: imprisonment in a general-security penal colony
Date of release: 13 July 2023
Judge: Yuliya Hustyr
Cases: Protests in Minsk
Artsiom Paulechka is a 21-year-old resident of Lelčycy, Homieĺ region.
On January 15, 2021, the Centraĺny District Court of Minsk sentenced him to three years of imprisonment in a general-security penal colony under Part 1 of Article 342 ('Active participation in actions grossly disrupting public order') and Article 364 ('Violence against a riot police officer') of the Criminal Code. In particular, Artsiom Paulechka was accused of kicking a riot policeman in the chest on July 14, 2020, in Minsk, during the protests against the refusal to register Babaryka and Tsapkala (Lukashenka's opponents) as the 2020 presidential candidates.
Artsiom Paulechka turned 21 on January 14, 2021. On that day, in his last word in court, he asked not to deprive him of freedom and sentence him to a milder punishment.
According to human rights defenders, in the summer of 2023, the political prisoner served his sentence in full and was released from penal colony #3 in Vićba, Viciebsk region.
