Vital Melnik
sentenced to 13 years of imprisonment
Prisoner
Date of birth: 12 February 1982
Date of detention: 30 March 2022
Charges indicted:
- Art. 295 of the Criminal Code — Unlawful acts against firearms, ammunition and explosives
- Art. 368 of the Criminal Code — Insulting the President of the Republic of Belarus
- Art. 309 of the Criminal Code — Intentional disrepair of a vehicle or communication lines
- Art. 289 of the Criminal Code — An act of terrorism
Sentence: 13 years
Penalty: imprisonment in a maximum security prison
Prison sentence start date: 25 April 2023
Judge: Anzhalika Danilava
Prison: Penal colony No. 13
Notes: Health issues, War in Ukraine
Cases: Rail sabotage
Statement on the status of a political prisoner
Godparent: Max Lucks, Member of the German Bundestag
Vital Melnik lives in the village of Chadakova, Minsk region. He has a little child.
Vital was accused of setting fire to the relay cabinet of an automatic blocking traffic light at the Navasady-Barysaŭ railway line in March 2022, thereby disabling the railway signaling system. His illegal actions allegedly created a real threat of a serious accident, damage to railway rolling stock, death or injury to people. Besides, according to the prosecutor's office, unregistered firearms (pistols) were found in Melnik's car and home. He repeatedly publicly insulted Lukashenka on social networks.
Melnik's family believes that he is not involved in these crimes. They rather connects his detention with the revenge of the local judge, as well as with the fact that Melnik has earlier had a criminal record.
For a long time, human rights defenders did not know where Vital Melnik was being held. Then it was established that he was in Pretrial Detention Center #1 on Valadarskaha Street in Minsk. He moves on crutches as during the arrest, the law enforcers shot Melnik in his knee joints.
On December 22, 2022, the Minsk Regional Court found Vital Melnik guilty under five articles of the Criminal Code:
- Part 4 of Art. 309 ('Intentional distruction of a vehicle or communication lines')
- Part 2 Art. 295 ('Illegal actions in relation to firearms, ammunition and explosives')
- Part 1 Art. 368 (‘insulting the president of Belarus’)
- Part 3 Art. 295 ('Illegal actions in relation to firearms, ammunition and explosives, committed by a group of persons, or repeatedly)
- Part 1 Art. 289 (‘act of terrorism’)
The total punishment is 13 years in a super maximum-security penal colony. Besides, he must pay 300 basic fines (about USD 3,466 as of December 31, 2022). The trial was led by Judge Anzhalika Danilava.
