Vital Brahinets
lawyer, sentenced to 8 years in prison
Prisoner
Date of birth: 19 August 1973
Date of detention: 23 May 2022
Charges indicted:
- Art. 342 of the Criminal Code — Organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them
- Art. 361 of the Criminal Code — Calls for actions aimed at causing harm to the national security of the Republic of Belarus
- Art. 361-1 of the Criminal Code — Creation of an extremist formation, or participation in it
- Art. 130 of the Criminal Code — Incitement to hatred
Sentence: 8 years
Penalty: imprisonment in a medium-security penal colony
Judge: Alena Ananich
Prosecutor: Liziuk
Prison: Penal colony No. 17
Groups: Lawyers and attorneys
Statement on the status of a political prisoner
Godparent: Omid Nouripour is a member of the German Bundestag and federal chairman of Bündnis 90/Die Grünen
Vital Brahinets is a lawyer. Recently he worked in the legal clinic of the Dziaržynski district, Minsk region. Brahinets defended some of the political prisoners, including Ales Bialiatski, as well as Andrei Machalau, a lawyer, who was left defenseless in court due to the arrest of Brahinets.
After being arrested at home, Vital Brahinets was taken to the Partyzanski District Police Department in order "to be checked for involvement in the protest activities". As it was alleged by the court, he "tried to leave", which was qualified as his disobedience. He was arrested for 15 days under Article 24.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses. Later it became known that Vital Brahinets was arrested under a criminal article for participating in the protests.
On August 5, 2022, the qualification commission deprived Brahinets of his license "in connection with disciplinary sanctions applied to lawyers in the form of exclusion from the Minsk Regional Bar Association for committing offenses incompatible with the title of lawyer".
In early January 2023, it became known that Brahinets is charged under four articles of the Criminal Code: Part 3 of Article 130 ('Incitement of other social hatred or enmity'), Part 3 of Article 361 ('Calls for restrictive measures (sanctions) and other actions aimed at harming the national security '), Part 1 of Article 361-1 ('Creation of an extremist formation or participation in it'), and Part 1 of Article 342 ('Active participation in actions grossly disrupting public order').
The City Court of Minsk started the trial on January 16, 2023. The trial was conducted by Judge Alena Ananich. From January 17, the court sessions were held behind closed doors. On February 2, the verdict was announced: eight years of imprisonment in a medium-security penal colony.
On April 28, 2023, the Supreme Court began to consider the political prisoner's appeal behind closed doors. The decision was to be made by Judge Edhar Martsirasian.
In June 2023, it became known that Vital Brahinets was sent to serve his sentence in penal colony #17 in Škloŭ, Mahilioŭ region.
