Dzianis Pishchala
sentenced to 2 years of imprisonment
Former prisoner
Date of birth: 9 March 1997
Date of detention: 31 October 2022
Charges indicted:
- Art. 342 of the Criminal Code — Organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them
Sentence: 2 years
Penalty: imprisonment in a general-security penal colony
Date of release: 27 July 2024
Judge: Anastasiya Osipchyk
Cases: Protests in Minsk
In November 2022, pro-government Telegram channels reported the arrest of two friends, the 25-year-old Dzianis Pishchala and the 24-year-old Ilona Zaitsava. In the 'repentant' video, Pishchala says that he participated in the post-election protests and went out onto the roadway during the protests, was subscribed to the 'extremist' Telegram channels and posted offensive comments.
He was charged under Article 342 of the Criminal Code ('Active participation in group actions grossly disrupting public order').
The case was tried in the court of the Zavodsk District Court of Minsk. On March 21, 2023, Judge Anastasiya Osipchyk sentenced Dzianis Pishchala to 24 months of imprisonment in a general-security penal colony.
He was released on July 27, 2024.
