Nikita Karpenka
sentenced to 2 years in penal colony
Date of birth: 10 June 1996
Date of detention: 6 October 2022
Charges indicted:
Art. 130 of the Criminal Code — Incitement to hatred
Art. 367 of the Criminal Code — Slander against the President of the Republic of Belarus
Sentence: 2 years
Penalty: imprisonment in a general-security penal colony
Prison sentence start date: 1 June 2023
Judge: Aliaksei Khlyshchankou
Prison: Penal colony No. 3
Statement on the status of a political prisoner
Godparent: Jürgen Hardt
Nikita Karpenka was accused under Part 1 of Art. 130 ('Incitement to other social enmity'), and Part 2 of Art. 367 ('Defamation against the president of Belarus') of the Criminal Code.
Besides, during the investigation, Karpenka was charged under Article 369 ('Insulting a government official') for his comment "This won't help you" under an article about a police officer who saved a girl. Later, Karpenka apologized to the police officer, and the latter withdrew his lawsuit for moral damages.
Nikita Karpenka was detained on October 6, 2022.
On January 31, 2023, the Homieĺ Regional Court handed down the verdict behind closed doors. The court found Karpenka guilty, sentenced him to 24 months of imprisonment in a general security penal colony, and ordered to seize his cell phone and laptop. The case was heard by Judge Aliaksandr Khlyshchankou.
