Dzmitry Navazhylau

ex-director of BelaPAN news agency, sentenced to 6 years of imprisonment

Prisoner

Date of birth: 12 August 1972

Date of detention: 18 August 2021

Charges indicted:

  • 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

Sentence: 6 years

Penalty: imprisonment in a general-security penal colony

Prison sentence start date: 2 February 2023

Judge: Viachaslau Tuleika

Prison: Penal colony No. 3

Cases: BelaPAN case

Groups: Journalists

Godparent: Min Li Marti, member of the Swiss National Council

Dzmitry Navazhylau is former director of the BelaPAN news agency.

Navazhylau was arested on August 18, 2021, after security officers searched his home and BelaPAN's office in Minsk.

Navazhylau was detained for 72 hours under Art. 342 of the Criminal Code (organization or preparation of actions that grossly violate public order, or participation in them).

10 days after arrest, Navazhylau was transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Minsk.

In early September, Navazhylau was officially charged under Part 2 of Art. 243 of the Criminal Code (tax evasion entailing large-scale damage).

In November, Navazhylau faced new charges of “creating an extremist formation”. 

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 Navazhylau to six years of imprisonment and a fine of 22,400 rubles ($8,900).

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. 3. 211322, Viciebsk region, Vićba

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