Viktoryia Damastoi
Prisoner
Date of birth: 24 May 1979
Date of detention: 23 January 2024
Charges indicted:
- Art. 342 of the Criminal Code — Organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them
- 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. 130 of the Criminal Code — Incitement to hatred
- Art. 367 of the Criminal Code — Slander against the President of the Republic of Belarus
- Art. 361-4 of the Criminal Code — Promoting extremist activities
Prison: Prison No. 1
In late January 2024, Viktoryia Damastoi was detained by the KGB for writing letters and transferring money to the accounts of political prisoners in the pre-trial detention center of Prison No. 1. This was part of a wider operation targeting relatives and friends of political prisoners. Subsequently, she was charged under Article 361-2 (financing extremist activities), but was not taken into custody.
During the search, she was seized with equipment and money. Following an examination of the equipment, it was discovered that it had been used to make comments on social media that were deemed to be inappropriate. An expert examination was then conducted on the equipment. Following the results of the expert examination, Victoryia was re-arrested on April 20, 2024, and placed in a temporary detention facility before being transferred to a pre-trial detention center.
Finally, Viktoryia was charged under five articles of the Criminal Code: The charges against her include: Article 130 (incitement to hatred), Article 367 (slander against Lukashenka), Article 368 (insulting Lukashenka), Article 342 (active participation or calls for active participation in group actions that grossly violate public order), Article 361-4 (promoting extremist activities).
Viktoryia is currently being held at Prison No. 1.
Victoryia has three minor children.
