Viachaslau (Vatslau) Areshka
trade union activist, political scientist, sentenced to 8 years imprisonment
Date of birth: 18 January 1955
Date of detention: 19 April 2022
Charges indicted:
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
Prison sentence start date: 3 April 2023
Judge: Anastasiya Papko
Prosecutor: Raman Biziuk
Prison: Penal colony No. 22
Statement on the status of a political prisoner
Godparent: Anže Logar, member of the Slovenian National Assembly
Vatslau Areshka is a Belarusian political scientist, public figure, and activist of the Belarusian Radio-Electrical Manufacturing Workers' Trade Union (REM). He was arrested on April 19, 2022, after his apartment was searched. Vatslau was placed in the KGB remand prison in Minsk and then charged.
On November 25, 2022, the trial of the trade union leaders began in the Minsk City Court. They were accused of "calling for restrictive measures aiming to harm the national security of Belarus" (Part 3 of Article 361), "inciting other social hatred or enmity" (Part 3 of Article 130), and "creating an extremist formation and participating in it" (Part 1 and Part 3 of Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code). Which of those charges were brought against Vatslau Areshka is still unknown. Judge Anastasiya Papko agreed to the proposal of the prosecutor Raman Biziuk and held the trial behind closed doors.
On December 27, the verdict was expected, but Judge Alena Papkova unexpectedly announced that the trial of the trade union activists would be postponed due to newly revealed circumstances, and asked everyone to leave the courtroom. The reasons for such a decision are still unknown.
On January 5, 2023, the verdict was handed down: activists of the Belarusian independent trade unions were found guilty. Judge Anastasiya Papko sentenced Henadz Fiadynich to eight years of imprisonment in a medium-security penal colony. Soon the political prisoner was transferred from remand prison #1 in Minsk to prison #4 in Mahilioŭ.
The Supreme Court considered an appeal against the sentence. On April 3, 2023, the court panel headed by Judge Piotr Listratsenka dismissed the appeals and upheld the verdict.
