Siarhei Hardziyevich

journalist of the online media outlet “Pieršy Rehijon”, sentenced to 1 1/2 years in prison

Former prisoner

Date of birth: 22 June 1971

Date of detention: 22 December 2020

Charges indicted:

  • Art. 369 of the Criminal Code — Insulting a government official
  • Art. 368 of the Criminal Code — Insulting the President of the Republic of Belarus
  • art. 188 of the Criminal Code — Defamation

Sentence: 1 1/2 years

Penalty: imprisonment in a general-security penal colony

Prison sentence start date: 2 August 2021

Date of release: 17 October 2022

Judge: Henadz Kudlasevich

Prosecutor: Siarhei Zhukovich

Notes: Health issues

Groups: Journalists

Godparent: Thijs Reuten, Member of the European Parliament for the Netherlands (Labour Party)

Siarhei Hardziyevich

Siarhei Hardziyevich is a journalist of the online media outlet “Pieršy Rehijon”. He was detained by riot police on December 22, 2020. 

His apartment in Brest was later searched, and he was detained as a suspect in a criminal case under Art. 368 of the Criminal Code (insulting the president). The charge stems from a repost of a Viber message.

On December 25, 2021, Siarhei Hardziyevich was placed under house arrest.

In early May, Hardziyevich was released from pre-trial detention, but remained under travel restrictions.

On August 2, the Ivanava District Court sentenced the journalist to 18 months in a general-security penal colony.

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