Andrei Aliaksandrau

journalist and media manager, sentenced to 14 years

Prisoner

Date of birth: 27 January 1978

Date of detention: 12 January 2021

Charges indicted:

  • Art. 342 of the Criminal Code — Organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them
  • Art. 243 of the Criminal Code — Evasion of taxes and fees
  • Art. 361-1 of the Criminal Code — Creation of an extremist formation, or participation in it
  • Art. 356 of the Criminal Code — High treason

Sentence: 14 years

Penalty: imprisonment in a general-security penal colony

Judge: Viachaslau Tuleyka

Prison: Penal colony No. 1

Cases: BelaPAN case

Groups: Journalists

Godparent: Christine Jardine, member of the British House of Commons

Andrei Aliaksandrau is a journalist and media manager. He was detained by officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs on January 12, 2021. Together with him, his partner Iryna Zlobina was arrested.

On January 15, in an official statement, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Henadz Kazakevich said that Aliaksandrau and Zlobina had been detained “on suspicion of financing protest activities”. According to the official, since August 2020, Aliaksandrau and Zlobina had been "financing persons who took part in the protests in Minsk, including by paying fines and reimbursing the costs of imprisonment in the detention facilities of Minsk.”

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Aliaksandrau paid 250 fines between August 22 and November 9, 2020. The lists of beneficiaries and the funds to pay the fines were transferred to Aliaksandrau by the BY_help foundation.

On January 22, his lawyer said that Aliaksandrau was officially charged and would remain in detention.

On June 30, Aliaksandrau faced new charges under Part 1 of Art. 356 of the Criminal Code (high treason).

On October 6, 2022, the Minsk Regional Court pronounced the verdicts on the high-profile BelaPAN case — four political prisoners were sentenced to harsh jail sentences and large fines. Judge Viachaslau Tuleika sentenced Aliaksandrau to 14 years of imprisonment and a fine of 32,000 rubles ($12,600).

On January 6, 2023, the Supreme Court considered the appeal of the defendants in the BelaPAN case. The verdicts were upheld, and only some wording was slightly changed.

Media workers in BelaPAN case sentenced to up to 14 years in jail

Judge Viachaslau Tuleika sentenced journalist and media manager Andrei Aliaksandrau to 14 years' imprisonment, sociologist and activist Irina Zlobina—to nine years, editor-in-chief and BelaPAN director Iryna Leushyna—to four years, and former agency director Dzmitry Navazhylau—to six years.

 

 

 

Mail address: Penal colony No. 1. 211440, Navapolack, vulica Techničnaya 8

Addresses of prisons:

What should I know and how to help?

✉️ Write a letter. Make a scan of your letter or postcard and share it online

🤝 Please use the Russian (or Belarusian) name of the prison

💡 Foreign-language messages may be blocked, so attach a translation (e.g. translate.google.com)

💡 A big guide about helping Belarusian political prisoners from abroad

💡 More tips here

Support “Viasna”