Aliaksandr Kirylenka

programmer, sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison

Former prisoner

Date of birth: 8 June 1987

Date of detention: 6 September 2020

Charges indicted:

  • Art. 364 of the Criminal Code — Violence or threat of violence against an employee of the internal affairs bodies

Sentence: 2 1/2 years

Penalty: imprisonment in a general-security penal colony

Date of release: 10 April 2023

Judge: Ina Hrabouskaya

Prosecutor: Krystsina Matsveyeva

Groups: IT specialists

Cases: Protests in Viciebsk

Aliaksandr Kirylenka is a 33-year-old programmer from Viciebsk.

He was detained on September 6, 2020.

The private enterprise, where the defendant works, described Aliaksandr Kirylenka as "a key high-class specialist, responsible, friendly and non-conflicting."

He was charged under Art. 364 of the Criminal Code (violence or threat of violence against an police officer) and sentenced by the Kastryčnicki District Court of Viciebsk on December 3 to two and a half years in a general-security penal colony.

According to the indictment, on September 6, during a street protest, Aliaksandr Kirylenka obstructed the activities of a senior ensign Yury Valeichanka, a policeman of the patrol service. The state prosecutor accused Kirylenka of inflicting at least two traumatic injuries on his head and right arm in revenge for Valeichanka's performance of official duties, knocking a truncheon out of the policeman's hand. Kirylenka pleaded guilty in part, saying that he had no motive to take revenge on the police officer for carrying out his law enforcement activities.

During the incident, a protester tore off a medical mask from the face of police officer Valeichanka, who tried to detain her, but Aliaksandr Kirylenka interceded for the woman and pushed the policeman.

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