Dzmitryi Papkou
sentenced to 2 years of imprisonment
Political prisoner
Date of detention: 9 May 2023
Charges indicted:
- Art. 368 of the Criminal Code — Insulting the President of the Republic of Belarus
- Art. 367 of the Criminal Code — Slander against the President of the Republic of Belarus
Sentence: 2 years
Penalty: imprisonment in a general-security penal colony
Judge: Natallia Yasenka
Dzmitryi Papkou is 29 years old and lives in Mahilioŭ. On July 10, 2023, the Kastryčnicki District Court of Mahilioŭ sentenced him to 24 months of imprisonment in a general-security penal colony.
Dzmitryi Papkou was found guilty of 'defamation' (Part 2 of Article 367) and 'insult' (Part 1 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Belarus) against Lukashenka. In the summer and fall of 2021, he liked two publications on the Odnoklasniki Russian social network, which made the publications visible in his own feed. According to the court, the posts contained slanderous and offensive information about Lukashenka's activities. It is known that Papkou pleaded guilty.
Judge Natallia Yasenka found that by his actions, Dzmitryi Papkou contributed to the social and political split in the society and sentenced him to imprisonment.
