Eduard Palchys

Blogger and public figure

Date of birth: 28 October 1990

Date of detention: 27 September 2020

Charges indicted:

Part 1 of Art. 293 of the Criminal Code — Organization of riots
Art. 342 of the Criminal Code — Organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them
Art. 361 of the Criminal Code — Calls for actions aimed at causing harm to the national security of the Republic of Belarus
Art. 130 of the Criminal Code — Incitement to hatred

Sentence: 13 years

Penalty: imprisonment in a high security prison

Judge: Piotr Arlou

Prison: Prison No. 4

Godparent: Nils Schmid, Member of the German Bundestag

Photo: svaboda.org

Eduard Palchys is a known blogger and public figure. He was detained in late October and later charged under Part 1 of Art. 293 of the Criminal Code (mass riots). The nature of the charges remain unknown.

Palchys was initially sentenced to 30 days in prison on "illegal protesting" charges, but never walked free after serving the term.

On December 17, the Minsk city court passed a verdict on the case of the political prisoner Eduard Palchys. He was charged under Part 1 of Art. 293 of the Criminal Code (Organization of mass riots), part 1 of Art. 342 of the Criminal Code (Organization of actions that grossly violate public order), part 3 of Art. 130 of the Criminal Code (Inciting social hatred), part 3 of Art. Art. 361 of the Criminal Code (Calls for actions aimed at causing damage to the national security of Belarus).

The case was considered by judge Piotr Arlou. He found Eduard Palchys guilty on all counts and sentenced the blogger to 13 years in prison.

In mid-August 2022 it became known that Eduard's custody level had been increased: the political prisoner was transferred from Penal Colony No. 1 to Mahilioŭ prison No. 4.


Earlier, Eduard Palchys was recognized as a political prisoner from January to November 2016. He was arrested for contributing to his website, and a criminal case was initiated against him under Part 1 of Art. 130 (incitement of racial, national or religious hatred or hatred) and Part 2 of Art. 343 (distribution of pornographic content). In August 2016, the Centralny District Court of Minsk found 9 materials from the 1863x.com website to be extremist. On October 28, 2016, the blogger was sentenced to 21 months of conditional imprisonment and released in the courtroom.

 

Blogger Eduard Palchys sentenced to 13 years in prison

On December 17, the Minsk city court passed a verdict on the case of the political prisoner Eduard Palchys. The blogger was charged under four articles of the Criminal Code. The trial was held behind closed doors “in order to prevent the dissemination of extremist materials.” Eduard Palchys was charged under Part 1 of Art. 293 of the Criminal Code (Organization of mass riots), part 1 of Art. 342 of the Criminal Code (Organization of actions that grossly violate public order), part 3 of Art. 130 of the Criminal Code (Inciting social hatred), part 3 of Art. Art. 361 of the Criminal Code (Calls for actions aimed at causing damage to the national security of Belarus). The case was considered by judge Piotr Arlou. He found Eduard Palchys guilty on all counts and sentenced the blogger to 13 years in prison.

 

Mail address: Prison No. 4. 212011, Mahilioŭ, vulica Krupskaj 99A

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