Illia Verameyeu
sentenced to 6 1/2 years of imprisonment
Prisoner
Date of birth: 1 August 2003
Date of detention: 27 February 2022
Charges indicted:
- Part 1 of Art. 293 of the Criminal Code — Organization of riots
- Art. 130 of the Criminal Code — Incitement to hatred
Sentence: 6 1/2 years
Penalty: imprisonment in a medium-security penal colony
Prison sentence start date: 6 December 2022
Judge: Anatol Sotnikau
Prison: Penal colony No. 2
Notes: War in Ukraine
Statement on the status of a political prisoner
Godparent: Corina Gredig, Member of the Swiss National Council
Illia Verameyeu was charged with two articles of the Criminal Code for his messages in Telegram chat rooms posted in February 2022: Part 1 of Article 14 ('Attempted crime'), Part 1 of Article 293 (‘Attempt to organize a mass riot’), and Part 1 of Article 130 (‘Incitement to hatred’). Presumably, those messages were his reaction to the war that Russia's armed forces began in Ukraine, including from the territory of Belarus.
Judge Anatol Sotnikau sentenced Illia Verameyeu to a total of 6 years and 6 months of imprisonment in a medium-security penal colony and ruled to confiscate the cell phone used to send the messages.
Illia Verameyeu's sister said that he took the sentence calmly as he really believes in Belarusians and Ukraine.
On December 1, 2022, the KGB included the political prisoner in the 'List of persons involved in terrorist activities'. On December 2, 2022, the Ministry of Internal Affairs included him in the 'list of extremists'.
In early December 2022, Illia Verameyeu was transferred from remand prison # 3 in Homieĺ to penal colony #2 in Babrujsk, Mahilioŭ.
