Pavel Drozd
sentenced to 3 years; released after serving full sentence
Former prisoner
Date of birth: 24 January 1986
Date of detention: 3 November 2020
Charges indicted:
- Art. 342 of the Criminal Code — Organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them
- Art. 349 of the Criminal Code — Unauthorized access to computer information
- Art. 341 of the Criminal Code — Desecration of structures and damage to property
- Art. 352 of the Criminal Code — Illegal acquisition of computer information
- Art. 350 of the Criminal Code - Destruction, blocking or modification of computer information
- Art. 354 of the Criminal Code - Development, use, distribution or sale of malicious computer programs
Sentence: 3 1/2 years
Penalty: imprisonment in a general-security penal colony
Date of release: 6 February 2023
Judge: Zhanna Khvainitskaya
Cases: Protests in Minsk
Statement on the status of a political prisoner
Godparent: Wendy Chamberlain, member of the British House of Commons
Pavel Drozd was detained on November 3, 2020 on suspicion of hacking the computer network of the Minsk City Executive Committee (Part 2, Article 349 of the Criminal Code) and on suspicion of committing acts that grossly violate public order (Part 1, Article 342 of the Criminal Code). He was later charged under these articles.
Judge Zhanna Khvoinitskaya decided to consider the case behind closed doors due to the fact that “the materials of the criminal case contain information that is a state secret.”
On January 28, the Zavodski District Court of Minsk sentenced four political prisoners for “hacking the computer system of the Minsk City Executive Committee.” Political prisoners Kim Samusenka and Aliaksei Samusenka were sentenced to 6.5 and 4 years in a general-security penal colony, respectively, Pavel Drozd and Ivan Andrushoits to 3.5 years in a penal colony each.
On April 26, 2022, the City Court of Minsk considered the appeal: Pavel Drozd and Ivan Andrushoits had their sentences reduced by six months—to 3 years in a penal colony.
In late May 2022, Pavel was transferred to penal colony #1 in Navapolack.
The political prisoner served his full sentence and was released on February 6, 2023.
Four political prisoners accused of hacking the government computer system sentenced to 3,5 to 6,5 years
