Volha Klimkova
sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison
Date of birth: 23 December 1974
Date of detention: 25 November 2020
Charges indicted:
Part 2 of Art. 339 of the Criminal Code — Hooliganism committed by a group of persons
Art. 368 of the Criminal Code — Insulting the President of the Republic of Belarus
Sentence: 3 1/2 years
Penalty: imprisonment in a general-security penal colony
Date of release: 4 February 2024
Judge: Dzmitryi Sasnouski
Prosecutor: Artsiom Nalivaika
Volha Klimkova was stopped by traffic police in Mahilioŭ on November 24, 2020. The woman was transporting more than 800 copies of the unregistered newspaper Mogilevskie Vesti. The next day she was detained and her home was searched.
It later became known that Volha faced charges under Part 2 of Art. 339 of the Criminal Code (hooliganism committed by a group of persons) and under Art. 368 of the Criminal Code (insult to the President). Klimkova, together with Maksim Siarheyenka and Siarhei Skok, were accused of making six effigies with "cynical inscriptions and images of high-ranking officials", placing them on overpasses near the city, taking photos and distributing pictures on the Internet. A total of nine people were detained in this case.
It was decided to consider the criminal case in the town of Kruhlaje. At the first meeting, on March 31, the trial was classified. On April 19, 2021, Klimkova and Skok were sentenced to 3.5 years each, and Siarheyenka to 3 years in a general-security penal colony.
