Vasil Khamutouski
Former prisoner
Date of birth: 30 August 1978
Date of detention: 30 September 2022
Charges indicted:
- Art. 342 of the Criminal Code — Organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them
Penalty: restricted freedom under home confinement ("domashnyaya khimiya")
Judge: Tatsiana Shotsik
Groups: Athletes
Cases: Protests in Minsk
During his career, Vasil Khamutouski, a prominent Belarusian footballer and coach, played for 17 football clubs from Germany, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. He became the champion of Belarus and Romania. He played 26 games for Belarus' national team in 2006-2008.
After the 2020 elections, Khamutouski condemned the violence of the law enforsers and signed the demand for fair elections. Later he left Belarus. Recently he has worked in Ukraine together with Oleg Dulub.
Vasily Khomutovsky was detained on September 30, 2022 after returning to Belarus from abroad. First, he was sentenced to 13 days of administrative arrest for forwarding materials from a Telegram channel recognized as "extremist" in Belarus. Then he was re-arrested as a defendant in a criminal case.
On December 28, the Leninski District Court of Minsk started the trial of the criminal case against Khamutouski. The trial is led by the judge Tatsiana Shotsik. He is accused of 'Active participation in group actions that grossly violate public order' under Art. 342 of the Criminal Code.