Mikalai Charniauski
worker, sentenced to 1 1/2 years, released
Date of birth: 31 October 1987
Date of detention: 19 November 2020
Charges indicted:
Art. 369 of the Criminal Code — Insulting a government official
Sentence: 1 1/2 years
Penalty: imprisonment in a general-security penal colony
Date of release: 19 March 2022
Judge: Aliaksandr Liashkovich
Mikalai Charniauski is a 33-year-old worker from Haradok (Viciebsk region). He used to work as a worker in a military unit. In the last few years, he has been doing odd jobs, often as an unreported employee.
He was detained for the first time in October, the second time in November. The reason was a criminal case under Art. 369 of the Criminal Code ("Insult of a representative of the authorities") and Art. 365 of the Criminal Code ("Interference in the activities of a police officer").
According to the investigation, on August 22, Mikalai Charniauski left a comment in a Telegram channel, insulting a police officer and threatening to publish his personal data. According to Charniauski's mother, he used the phrase "scum in uniform".
“And it wasn’t said directly, but in a conversation with someone else. Without any obscene language. In court, Mikalai sincerely apologized for these words. And the insulted officer said: "As a person I forgive you, but as a police officer - I don't," said the convict's mother.
On December 15, the Haradok District Court sentenced Mikalai Charniauski to a year and a half in prison.
Mikalai served his service in full and was released on March 19, 2022.
