Yan Papkovich
Date of birth: 15 July 1992
Date of detention: 2 September 2022
Charges indicted:
Art. 342 of the Criminal Code — Organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them
Article 361-3 of the Criminal Code — Participation or preparing to participate in hostilities on foreign soil by a Republic of Belarus citizen
Sentence: 4 years and 3 months
Penalty: imprisonment in a general-security penal colony
Judge: Vera Halaukova, Tatsiana Mikhailava
Prison: Penal colony No. 9
Statement on the status of a political prisoner
Godparent: Myriam Cecchetti, Member of the Luxembourg Chamber of Deputies
Yan Papkovich is a former collector for Belgazprombank. He resigned and was about to leave for Poland together with his wife and brother Ales, but on the eve of his supposed departure, on September 2, 2022, he was detained and severely beaten. His dog was shot by the police.
He was shown in several stories on regime TV, where he was portrayed as a mercenary who was going to go to war in Ukraine.
He was charged under Article 342 of the Criminal Code (active participation in group actions that grossly violate public order) and Article 361-3 of the Criminal Code (participation in the territory of a foreign state in an armed formation or armed conflict).
The trial of the political prisoner began on May 10, 2023 at the Minsk City Court. It was reported that Yan refused to acknowledge his guilt during the trial.
On May 16, 2023, Judge Vera Halaukova found Yan guilty and sentenced him to four years of imprisonment in a general-security penal colony.
In October 2023, Yan was transferred from Mahilioŭ Prison No. 4 to penal colony No. 15.
In early December 2023, it was revealed that the administration of penal colony No. 15 initiated a criminal case against Yan under Part 1 of Article 411 of the Criminal Code for malicious disobedience to the lawful demands of the colony administration. The trial is scheduled to take place in Mahilioŭ on December 14, 2023, and will be presided over by Judge Tatsiana Mikhailava.
