Natallia Matsveyeva
case of the “Civil Self-Defense Units of Belarus”
Date of birth: 17 December 1983
Date of detention: 8 June 2021
Charges indicted:
Art. 295-3 of the Criminal Code — Illegal actions in relation to objects which action is based on use of combustible substances
Art. 289 of the Criminal Code — An act of terrorism
Art. 290-4 of the Criminal Code — Establishing or participating in an organization for the purpose of terrorist activity
Sentence: 14 years
Penalty: imprisonment in a general-security penal colony
Judge: Siarhei Yepikhau
Prison: Penal colony No. 4
Statement on the status of a political prisoner
Natallia Matsveyeva was sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment in a general-security penal colony and fined 12,800 Belarusian rubles (approx. $5,100). She was convicted under the following Articles of the Criminal Code:
- part 2 of Artice 290-4 (“participation in terrorist organization activity”),
- part 1 of Article 13 and part 2 of Article 289 (“preparation for a terrorist act”), and
- part 2 of Article 295-3 (“illegal actions with objects, the damaging effect of which is based on the use of combustible substances”).
On October 19, 2022, the Minsk Regional Court began the trial of the case of the "Civil Self-Defense Unit of Belarus", recognized as a terrorist organization in Belarus. Five people were involved in the case: Dzmitryi Sasnouski, Aliaksei Hlotau, Natallia Matsveyeva, Vadzim Hulevich, and Kiryl Ashurak. They were tried under ten articles of the Criminal Code, including terrorism, and charged with three episodes—an attempt to blow up the Russian Navy communications hub in Viliejka (Minsk region), an attempt on the TV propagandist Ryhor Azaronak, and an attempt to destroy logging equipment in forestries.
On December 5, 2022, the verdicts were announced.
On March 10, 2023, Natallia Matsveyeva was included in the 'List of Belarusian citizens, foreign citizens, and stateless persons involved in extremist activities".
