Uladzimir Auramtsau

Prisoner

Date of birth: 7 April 1994

Date of detention: 30 March 2022

Charges indicted:

Art. 356 of the Criminal Code — High treason
Art. 309 of the Criminal Code — Intentional disrepair of a vehicle or communication lines
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: 22 years

Penalty: imprisonment in a medium-security penal colony

Prison sentence start date: 26 April 2023

Judge: Ihar Shvedau

Prison: Penal colony No. 22

Groups: Athletes

Cases: Rail sabotage

Statement on the status of a political prisoner

Godparent: Hervé Maurey, Member of the French Senate

On the list of “terrorists” (Money transfers are prohibited)

Uladzimir Auramtsau was arrested together with Yauhen Minkevich and Dzmitryi Klimau by a special unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs on March 30. They are suspected of destroying two relay cabinets near Asipovičy. The men tried to escape while being arrested. The law enforcers used lethal weapons against them, at least one of the detainees was wounded and is now in a medical facility, while the others “received medical care on the spot”.

Two “railway guerillas” receive 22 years of jail, and another released under an amnesty

On February 10, the Mahilioŭ Regional Court passed a verdict to three “rail guerillas” from Babrujsk: Dzmitryi Klimau, Uladzimir Auramtsau, and Yauhen Minkevich. The first two were sentenced to 22 years in a penal colony each, and the latter was sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment. It is noted that Minkevich was partially released from punishment for a period of one year under the law “On Amnesty in connection with the National Unity Day”. Taking into account the time in custody the punishment is considered to have been served. Judge Ihar Shvedau considered the case behind closed doors for two weeks.

Rail War: what we know about “Rail guerillas”

Since the onset of the invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops, including from Belarusian territory, the “Rail War” has been unfolded in Belarus. To slow down and prevent the movement of Russian military equipment into Ukraine, Belarusians are disrupting the railway network. Despite the state considering such actions as acts of terrorism, sabotage on the railroad does not stop: over a month more than a dozen of such acts have been recorded.