Illia Verameyeu

sentenced to 6 1/2 years of imprisonment

Prisoner

Date of birth: 1 August 2003

Date of detention: 27 February 2022

Charges indicted:

  • Part 1 of Art. 293 of the Criminal Code — Organization of riots
  • Art. 130 of the Criminal Code — Incitement to hatred

Sentence: 6 1/2 years

Penalty: imprisonment in a medium-security penal colony

Prison sentence start date: 6 December 2022

Judge: Anatol Sotnikau

Prison: Penal colony No. 2

Notes: War in Ukraine

Godparent: Corina Gredig, Member of the Swiss National Council

On the list of “terrorists” (Money transfers are prohibited)

Illia Verameyeu was charged with two articles of the Criminal Code for his messages in Telegram chat rooms posted in February 2022: Part 1 of Article 14 ('Attempted crime'), Part 1 of Article 293 (‘Attempt to organize a mass riot’), and Part 1 of Article 130 (‘Incitement to hatred’). Presumably, those messages were his reaction to the war that Russia's armed forces began in Ukraine, including from the territory of Belarus.

Judge Anatol Sotnikau sentenced Illia Verameyeu to a total of 6 years and 6 months of imprisonment in a medium-security penal colony and ruled to confiscate the cell phone used to send the messages.

Illia Verameyeu's sister said that he took the sentence calmly as he really believes in Belarusians and Ukraine.

On December 1, 2022, the KGB included the political prisoner in the 'List of persons involved in terrorist activities'. On December 2, 2022, the Ministry of Internal Affairs included him in the 'list of extremists'.

In early December 2022, Illia Verameyeu was transferred from remand prison # 3 in Homieĺ to penal colony #2 in Babrujsk, Mahilioŭ.

Mail address: Penal colony No. 2. 213800, Babrujsk, vulica Sikorskaha 1

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