Vital Zaradzei
served full term, released
Date of birth: 6 June 1952
Date of detention: 29 March 2021
Charges indicted:
Art. 368 of the Criminal Code — Insulting the President of the Republic of Belarus
Art. 391 of the Criminal Code — Insulting a judge
Sentence: 2 years
Penalty: imprisonment in a general-security penal colony
Date of release: 8 December 2022
Judge: Vadzim Zdanovich
Prosecutor: Aliaksandr Shykavetski
Vital Zaradzei is a resident of Brest charged under Art. 391 of the Criminal Code (insulting a judge).
On March 29, 2021, police with machine guns broke into Vital's house and detained him. Zaradzei was arrested after he failed to appear for questioning at the Investigative Committee. He was remanded in the Brest pre-trial prison.
In April, Zaradzei was temporarily transferred for a forensic psychological examination at the Center for Mental Health in Minsk.
On August 9, the Kobryn District Court sentenced Zaradzei to two years in a general-security penal colony, finding him guilty of insulting several judges and Aliaksandr Lukashenka. The "public" (from the point of view of the prosecution) insults happened as follows: Vital Zaradzei filed a number of claims in the court's office, which contained a "negative assessment" in relation to judges and Lukashenka.
The insults themselves were not voiced at the trial, as this part of the session was classified.
The defendant pleaded not guilty.
The political prisoner served his term in full and was released in December 2022.
