Katsiaryna Zaretskaya

sentenced to 5 years imprisonment

Prisoner

Date of birth: 19 December 1978

Date of detention: 3 September 2022

Charges indicted:

  • Art. 361-1 of the Criminal Code — Creation of an extremist formation, or participation in it
  • Art. 361-4 of the Criminal Code — Promoting extremist activities

Sentence: 5 years

Penalty: imprisonment in a general-security penal colony

Judge: Dzina Kuchuk

Prison: Penal colony No. 4

Notes: War in Ukraine

Katsiaryna Zaretskaya was arrested in early September 2022 for hanging Ukrainian and Belarusian national flags on the facade of a high-rise building in Minsk, together with рук husband Viachaslau Pantsiushenka, and with Dzianis VarozauVolha TserakhUladzimir Lavor, and Katsiaryna Zaretskaya. They were charged with hooliganism (Article 339 of the Criminal Code).

Two weeks after their arrest, the Ministry of Internal Affairs recognized the Zello channel in which the defendants communicated when preparing their antiwar action, as an "extremist formation".

Among the articles, under which the political prisoners were eventually accused, there was no "malicious hooliganism", for which they were arrested and placed in custody. They were charged with much more serious articles of the Criminal Code: Parts 1 and 3 of Article 361-1 (Creation of and participation in extremist formation) and Part 2 of Article 361-4 (Supporting extremist activities).

In March 2023, it became known that Katsiaryna Zaretskaya was transferred from remand prison #8 in Žodzina, Minsk region, to remand prison #1 in Minsk.

The trial of the "flag case" began on March 20, 2023, in the Minsk City Court, behind closed doors. On April 6, 2023, Judge Dzina Kuchuk sentenced:

  • Dzianis Varozau to five years imprisonment in a medium-security penal colony.
  • Viachaslau Pantsiushenka to five years imprisonment in a medium-security penal colony.
  • Volha Tserakh to five years imprisonment in a medium-security penal colony.
  • Uladzimir Lavor to four years and nine months of imprisonment in a medium-security penal colony.
  • Katsiaryna Zaretskaya to five years imprisonment in a general-security penal colony.

Shot in knees and jailed: what Belarusians risks for their anti-war stance

In the first 50 days of the war, more than 1,500 people were detained for anti-war actions in Belarus. Viasna recalls stories of persecution for taking an anti-war stand.

 

Mail address: Penal colony No. 4. 246035, Homieĺ, vulica Antoshkina 3

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”