Viktoryia Haurylina
in custody
Date of birth: 6 January 1983
Date of detention: 27 January 2023
Charges indicted:
Art. 243 of the Criminal Code — Evasion of taxes and fees
Art. 361-2 of the Criminal Code — Financing the activities of an extremist group
Art. 203-1 of the Criminal Code — Illegal actions with respect to information about private life and personal data
Sentence: 3 years and 3 months
Penalty: imprisonment in a general-security penal colony
Judge: Anatol Sotnikau
Prison: Penal colony No. 4
Viktoryia Haurylina is an entrepreneur, a dancer, and a mother of two. She was remanded in custody for donations on charges of "financing extremist activities" under Article 361-2, "tax evasion" under Article 243, and "illegal actions concerning personal information" under Article 203-1 of the Criminal Code.
The state-owned ONT TV channel showed a "repentative" video with Viktoryia Haurylina. A criminal case was opened against her and she was taken into custody. In the TV story, she is accused of non-payment of taxes, subscriptions to "extremist" channels, leaking law enforcers´ personal data, participation in the Peramoha plan, and financing extremist activities.
Together with Viktoryia Haurylina, her husband Dzmitryi Haurylin was detained. He served 30 days of administrative arrest and was released. Dzmitryi Haurylin is the director of the Engine Repair Plant in Homieĺ and the vocalist of the Ban-Zhvirba ethno-rock band. The spouses are also known as dancers.
On August 25, 2023 the trial started in Homiel Regional Court.
On September 18, 2023, Judge Anatol Sotnikau found Viktoryia guilty of financing the activities of an extremist group, evasion of taxes and fees and illegal actions in relation to personal data and information about the private life without another person’s consent. Viktoryia was sentenced to three years and three months of imprisonment in a general-security penal colony with a fine of 100 basic units.
