Viktar Zalatareuski
sentenced to 2 1/2 years of imprisonment
Date of birth: 13 March 1995
Date of detention: 3 March 2023
Charges indicted:
Art. 361-1 of the Criminal Code — Creation of an extremist formation, or participation in it
Art. 361-4 of the Criminal Code — Promoting extremist activities
Sentence: 2 1/2 years
Penalty: imprisonment in a general-security penal colony
Judge: Aleh Kharoshka
In early March 2023, near the village of Voranava, Hrodna region, Viktar Zalatareuski was arrested. He was trying to leave Belarus for Lithuania. When examining his cell phone, police officers found subscriptions to Telegram channels recognized as "extremist" by the authorities.
Zalatareuski was subjected to administrative detention under Article 19.11 of the Code of Administrative Offenses ('Distribution, production, storage, transportation of information products containing calls to extremist activities or promoting such activities').
On March 10, 2023, the day of his release, he was charged under Article 361-1 ('Creation of extremist formation or participation in it') and Article 361-4 ('Supporting extremist activities') of the Criminal Code for allegedly registering as a member of the Peramoha plan.
Viktar Zalatareuski was in the remand prison in Hrodna.
It is known that before his arrest, Zalatareuski worked in Minsk in one of the state organizations and lived in the organization's hostel. After the arrest, he was fired.
On July 14, 2023, in the Homieĺ Regional Court, Judge Aleh Kharoshka started the trial of the political prisoner.
On July 26, 2023, Viktar Zalatareuski was sentenced to two years and six months of imprisonment in a general-security penal colony.
