55-Year-Old Afghan War Veteran Tried In Baranavichy For ‘Insulting’ Lukashenka

• 19.12.2022, 13:33

Henadz Barys was released in the courtroom.

On December 16, 55-year-old veteran of the war in Afghanistan Henadz Barys was sentenced in the court of Baranavichy and Baranavichy district. He was accused of “insulting” Lukashenka (Part 1 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code) and “abuse of state symbols” (Article 370).

The case was considered by judge Ina Paulouskaya, human rights activists report.

Henadz Barys was detained on August 9 in Baranavichy by armed riot police. On August 10, he was fined 800 rubles for liking information from an “extremist” website. Before the trial, Henadz Barys was in the pre-trial detention center in Baranavichy.

According to the indictment, on January 26, 2021, Henadz Barys posted an image in red and green with a swastika with a national ornament on his page in one of the social networks. Also, on the same day, he posted an image of Lukashenka in a military uniform against the background of a swastika on his page.

The next episode of the case concerns July 26, 2022. It is reported that Henadz Barys posted a text message on social media, in which he indicated that “terrorist #1 is wanted” and that a sum of one million euros will be collected for his arrest. Further, he writes that 586,000 euros have already been reserved for someone who arrests Lukashenka.

The prosecution requested that Henadz Barys be sentenced to liberty restriction in an open-type penal institution for a period of 3.5 years.

As a result, the court sentenced the political prisoner to three years of liberty restriction. Henadz has been released in the courtroom until he is sent to the place of serving his sentence.