Dmitryis Mikhailаus
Citizen of Latvia; sentenced to four years of imprisonment in a penal colony
Date of birth: 21 November 1978
Date of detention: 1 March 2022
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. 369 of the Criminal Code — Insulting a government official
Art. 368 of the Criminal Code — Insulting the President of the Republic of Belarus
Art. 130 of the Criminal Code — Incitement to hatred
Sentence: 4 years
Penalty: imprisonment in a general-security penal colony
Prison sentence start date: 7 March 2023
Judge: Sviatlana Charapanava
Prison: Penal colony No. 3
Statement on the status of a political prisoner
Dmitryis Mikhailаus is a 44-year-old citizen of Latvia temporarily registered in the Minsk region. He was accused of 'Calling for restrictive measures aimed at harming the national security of Belarus' (Part 3 of Art. 361) posted on social networks, 'Inciting other social enmity' (Part 2 of Art. 130), 'Insulting a government official' (Art. 369), and 'Insulting the president' (Part 1 and Part 2 of Art. 368).
Mihailaus was detained on March 1, 2022 and placed in pre-trial detention center #1 in Minsk. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia previously reported that Mikhailаus' cell phone was checked and the Belarusian authorities did not like the messages condemning Lukashenka's regime.
It is also known that in October 2022, Mihailaus was included in the 'List of Persons Related to Terrorist Activities'.
The trial began on December 14, but no one was admitted to the court room on that day—not even the Latvian consul. On December 21, representatives of the consulate were admitted to the court room, but they were unable to provide any particular influence. According to the Vienna Convention, they have the right to contact and access citizens of their own country, but they do not have the right to interfere in the internal affairs of another country.
Besides, it is known that Mikhailаus was placed for a month in a closed psychiatric clinic for an examination.
On December 30, 2022, the Minsk City Court sentenced him to four years of imprisonment in a penal colony. The trial was conducted by the judge Sviatlana Charapanava.
