Siarhei Sparysh
activist of the Narodnaya Hramada party, sentenced to 6 years in prison
Prisoner
Date of birth: 11 July 1986
Date of detention: 25 June 2020
Charges indicted:
- Part 2 of Art. 293 of the Criminal Code — Participation in riots
- Part 3 of Art. 293 of the Criminal code — Training or other preparation of persons for participation in mass riots, or financing of this activity
- Art. 191 of the Criminal Code — Obstruction of the exercise of electoral rights
Sentence: 6 years
Penalty: imprisonment in a medium-security penal colony
Judge: Siarhei Yepikhau
Prison: Penal colony No. 1
Groups: Politicians
Cases: Protests in Minsk
Statement on the status of a political prisoner
Godparent: Claudia Friedl, member of the Swiss National Council
Siarhei Sparysh is an activist of the Narodnaya Hramada party. He was arrested on June 25, 2020, by plainclothes police officers who used physical force to pull him out of his apartment. The reason for the arrest was a 15-day term of administrative detention earlier imposed on the activist for laying flowers at the Military Cemetery in Minsk on May 8. On July 9, it became known that a criminal case had been instituted against him under Part 1 of Art. 342 of the Criminal Code. The charge was said to be linked to the events of May 29 in Hrodna.
Siarhei Sparysh was formally charged and remanded in a pre-trial detention center in Minsk.
On March 16, 2021, the Supreme Court said that Sparysh was facing charges under Art. 191 of the Criminal Code (obstruction of the Central Election Commission), Part 1 of Art. 13 and Part 2 of Art. 293 (preparation for participation in riots) and Part 3 of Art. 293 of the Criminal Code (training or other preparation of persons to participate in riots).
The charges were said to be linked to the activist's role in running a Telegram channel entitled “Army Together With the People”.
On May 7, 2021, Judge Siarhei Yepikhau of the Minsk Regional Court found the activist guilty of preparing to take part in mass riots, of preparing riots and of obstructing the work of the Central Election Commission and sentenced him to six years in a medium-security penal colony.
