Yauhen Burlo

rock musician

Date of birth: 9 May 1991

Date of detention: 28 October 2022

Charges indicted:

Art. 368 of the Criminal Code — Insulting the President of the Republic of Belarus
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. 369-1 of the Criminal Code — Discrediting Belarus

Sentence: 8 years

Penalty: imprisonment in a medium-security penal colony

Judge: Siarhei Salouski

Prison: Penal colony No. 3

Yauhen Burlo is a member of the band TOR Band rock group from Rahačoŭ, Homieĺ region. He and the two other band members, Dzmitryi Halavach and Andrei Yaremchyk, were detained on October 28, 2022.

The detainees were sentenced to 15 days of administrative arrest several times in a row. Later they were transferred to a remand prison. While the musicians were in prison, their rock band was recognized as an "extremist formation".

During his detention, Yauhen experienced a recurrence of a pre-existing medical condition - necrosis of the hip. 

The trial started at the Homieĺ Regional Court on September 14, 2023. It was presided over by Judge Siarhei Salouski.

Each of the three musicians faced charges of the following criminal offenses:

  • incitement to hatred (Part 3 of Article 130 of the Criminal Code);
  • creation of an extremist formation, or participation in it (Part 1 and Part 3 of Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code);
  • discrediting the Republic of Belarus (Article 369-1 of the Criminal Code);
  • insulting Aliaksandr Lukashenka (Article 368 of the Criminal Code).  

On January 16th, the TOR Band was classified as an "extremist group".

On October 31, 2023, the Homieĺ Regional Court issued a verdict in the case against the musicians. Yauhen Burlo was sentenced to eight years of imprisonment, Dzmitryi Halavach was sentenced to nine years of imprisonment, and Andrei Yaremchyk received a sentence of seven years and six months in prison. All of the individuals were given a fine of 100 basic units (3,700 Belarusian roubles). The case was considered privately for six weeks.

As reported by Radyo Svaboda, Yauhen attended the trial on crutches and was unable to stand.

Mail address: Penal colony No. 3. 211322, Viciebsk region, Vićba

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