Ivan Zianko
Prisoner
Date of birth: 10 May 1982
Date of detention: 20 October 2020
Charges indicted:
- Art. 342 of the Criminal Code — Organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them
- Art. 364 of the Criminal Code — Violence or threat of violence against an employee of the internal affairs bodies
- Art. 218 of the Criminal Code — Intentional destruction or damage to property committed in a generally dangerous manner or causing damage on a large scale
- Art. 411 — Malicious disobedience to the demands of administration of the correctional institution
Sentence: 9 years
Penalty: imprisonment in a high security prison
Judge: Yuliya Blizniuk, Aliaksandr Tarakanau, Dzmitryi Razumovich
Prosecutor: Valeryia Taratynka
Prison: Prison No. 1
Notes: Prison security level
Cases: Protests in Minsk
Ivan Zianko is a resident of Minsk sentenced to five years in a penal colony under Art. 364 (violence against a police officer), Art. 342 (active participation in group actions that grossly violate public order) and Art. 218 of the Criminal Code (damage to property).
The events for which the man was convicted took place on October 11, 2020. During the dispersal of the "March of Honor" near the Puškinskaja metro station in Minsk, he and three other defendants, according to the investigation, prevented riot police from detaining a protester, started a fight with them, hit them several times on the heads and broke the glass in a police car.
Zianko pleaded not guilty.
On April 2, 2021, Frunzienski District Court of Minsk pronounced the verdict in the criminal case against Yauhen Barouski, Ivan Zianko, Aliaksei Drab, and Uladzimir Katskel. The case was considered by judge Yuliya Blizniuk. The state prosecution was represented by the state prosecutor Valeryia Taratynka. Seven riot police officers were considered victims in the case. Ivan Zianko was sentenced to 5 years in a general-security penal colony.
After he started to serve his sentence, a new criminal case under article 342 of the Criminal Code was brought against Ivan for participation in a protest on August 9, 2020. The main evidence of his guilt was a video in which an “unidentified person” with a blurred face gave instructions to the protesters. The lawyer suggested that it could have been a police officer.
On March 16, 2022, Ivan was placed in a punishment cell for 10 days.
On April 7, 2022, Frunzienski District Court of Minsk for the second time convicted political prisoner Ivan Zianko. Prosecutor Aksana Sakovich requested 24 months in jail for Ivan, her request was fully granted by Judge Natallia Buhuk. But it had no effect on the final sentence, as the new term will be served concurrently with the previous one, which is five years.
On November 9, 2022, Judge Aliaksandr Tarakanau added Ivan one year in penal colony. Soon after, the political prisoner was transferred to Horki Prison No. 9.
In September 2023, he was sentenced to an additional 3 years in prison for "violence against a public official".
He was transferred to prison No. 1.
