Volha Sukharava
sentenced to 2 1/2 years of imprisonment
Date of birth: 24 August 1976
Date of detention: 17 November 2022
Charges indicted:
Art. 367 of the Criminal Code — Slander against the President of the Republic of Belarus
Sentence: 2 1/2 years
Penalty: restricted freedom in an open penal facility ("khimiya")
Prison sentence start date: 3 June 2023
Prison: Open correctional facility No. 51
Volha Sukharava was arrested on November 17, 2022, for her publication on Facebook posted back in 2020. She was charged under two criminal articles: Article 368 ('Contempt of the president of Belarus') and Article 367 ('Slander against the president of Belarus') of the Criminal Code. She was tried only under the latter article for as statute of limitations had already expired for the former article by the time of the trial.
Volha Sukharava was remanded in custody pending trial, therefore the court ruled to release her in the courtroom under a recognizance bond.
On February 24, 2023, the Saviecki District Court of Homieĺ sentenced her to two years and six months of freedom restriction in an open-type penal facility. Besides, the judge also ruled to confiscate her laptop as state revenue.
On May 26, 2023, Volha Sukharava was added to the 'List of Belarusian citizens, foreign citizens, and stateless persons involved in extremist activities'.
