Viktar Melekhau
Prisoner
Date of birth: 16 August 1986
Date of detention: 10 July 2023
Charges indicted:
- Art. 369 of the Criminal Code — Insulting a government official
- Part 1 of Art. 328 of the Criminal Code — Illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs without the purpose of sale
Sentence: 2 1/2 years
Penalty: imprisonment in a general-security penal colony
Judge: Viktoryia Shabunia, Henadz Kudlasevich
Prison: Penal colony No. 17
On August 25, 2023, Viktar Melekhau was convicted in the Ivanaŭski District Court under Article 369 (Insulting a government official) and Part 1 of Article 328 (Illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs without the purpose of sale) of the Criminal Code. Judge Henadz Kudlasevich sentenced Viktar to two years and six months of imprisonment in a general-security penal colony and fined him 300 basic units (11,100 Belarusian rubles).
On April 21, 2023, Viktar was previously tried in the Centralny District Court of Minsk on the same charges. He was sentenced to four years of restricted freedom and sent to an open-type correctional institution known as khimiya, in addition to a fine of 200 basic units (7,400 rubles). Viktar had already served part of his sentence.
According to the court, Viktar was re-detained in order to increase his punishment. He has been in detention since July 10, 2023.
On July 28, 2023, Viktar was added to the list of individuals involved in extremist activities, including Belarusian citizens, foreign citizens, and stateless persons.
