Safiya Malashevich
sentenced to 2 years in prison
Date of birth: 18 February 2002
Date of detention: 30 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. 368 of the Criminal Code — Insulting the President of the Republic of Belarus
Part 1 of Art. 339 of the Criminal Code — Hooliganism
Sentence: 2 years
Penalty: imprisonment in a general-security penal colony
Date of release: 6 September 2022
Judge: Volha Niaborskaya
Prosecutor: Uliyana Rudnitskaya
Statement on the status of a political prisoner
Godparent: René Repasi, member of the European Parliament
Safiya Malashevich was initially detained on September 6 during the March of Unity, after she spray-painted several drawings and slogans on the metal shields installed on riot-control vehicles. She was called a suspect under Part 1 of Art. 342 (organization or participation in group actions that gravely breach public order) and Part 2 of Art. 339 of the Criminal Code (hooliganism committed by a group of persons).
Safiya was released on bail, but re-arrested on November 30.
On January 22, Judge Volha Niaborskaya of the Kastryčnicki District Court of Minsk sentenced Malashevich to 2 years in a general security penal colony. During the trial, the prosecution changed Malashevich’s initial indictment, reclassifying it to Part 1 of Art. 339.