Iryna Abdukeryna
former teacher, sentenced to 4 years of imprisonment
Date of birth: 27 May 1972
Date of detention: 5 April 2022
Charges indicted:
Art. 361-1 of the Criminal Code — Creation of an extremist formation, or participation in it
Art. 130 of the Criminal Code — Incitement to hatred
Art. 361-2 of the Criminal Code — Financing the activities of an extremist group
Art. 369-1 of the Criminal Code — Discrediting Belarus
Sentence: 4 years
Penalty: imprisonment in a general-security penal colony
Prison sentence start date: 6 March 2023
Judge: Ruslan Tsaruk
Prison: Penal colony No. 4
Statement on the status of a political prisoner
Godparent: Damien Cottier, Member of the Swiss National Council
Iryna Abdukeryna, a former teacher from Chojniki, was detained at her summer house on the morning of April 5. The reason for the arrest was that the woman had allegedly recorded the movement of a Russian military convoy and forwarded the video to the Bielaruski hajun Telegram channel. This is stated in the “repentant” video of her.
The woman was charged under four articles of the Criminal Code:
- “creation of an extremist formation, or participation in it” (Art. 361-1),
- “incitement to hatred” (Art. 130),
- “financing the activities of an extremist group” (Art. 361-2), and
- “discrediting Belarus” (Art. 369-1).
On December 6, 2022, Judge Ruslan Tsarus of the Homieĺ Regional Court found Abdukeryna guilty and sentenced her to four years of imprisonment in a general-security penal colony. She was also fined 3,200 Belarusian rubles (approx. US$1,260).
Teacher gets four years in jail for a video with Russian military equipment
Taking pics of Russian troops considered extremism