Siarhei Hardziyevich
journalist of the online media outlet “Pieršy Rehijon”, sentenced to 1 1/2 years in prison
Date of birth: 22 June 1971
Date of detention: 22 December 2020
Charges indicted:
Art. 369 of the Criminal Code — Insulting a government official
Art. 368 of the Criminal Code — Insulting the President of the Republic of Belarus
art. 188 of the Criminal Code — Defamation
Sentence: 1 1/2 years
Penalty: imprisonment in a general-security penal colony
Prison sentence start date: 2 August 2021
Date of release: 17 October 2022
Judge: Henadz Kudlasevich
Prosecutor: Siarhei Zhukovich
Statement on the status of a political prisoner
Godparent: Thijs Reuten, Member of the European Parliament for the Netherlands (Labour Party)
Siarhei Hardziyevich is a journalist of the online media outlet “Pieršy Rehijon”. He was detained by riot police on December 22, 2020.
His apartment in Brest was later searched, and he was detained as a suspect in a criminal case under Art. 368 of the Criminal Code (insulting the president). The charge stems from a repost of a Viber message.
On December 25, 2021, Siarhei Hardziyevich was placed under house arrest.
In early May, Hardziyevich was released from pre-trial detention, but remained under travel restrictions.
On August 2, the Ivanava District Court sentenced the journalist to 18 months in a general-security penal colony.