A renowned basketball referee. He was arrested for creating a basketball chat room.
He was detained in January 2024 while returning to Belarus. He is currently in pretrial detention. He is accused of "insulting Lukashenko" and "creating an extremist group" under Articles 361-1 and 368 of the Criminal Code.
Syritsa had previously believed that coming to Belarus was not associated with major risks. His wife was also detained at the border (she served a day in custody). The chat participants were summoned for questioning.
Alexander Syrytsa was one of the top basketball referees in Belarus for many years. He has been a FIBA referee since 2005. In 2019, Syrytsa and his colleagues filed a lawsuit against the basketball federation, lost, and was blacklisted. He lived in Australia, ran a business, and frequently visited Ukraine.
On January 16, the KGB designated the "Fund of Belarus Friend LTD" as an "extremist organization." It was then reported that Belarusian citizen Alexander Syritsa was associated with it.
On December 13, 2025,he was released after another visit to Minsk by US President Donald Trump's special representative, Keith Kellogg, and taken to Lithuania.
Trial outcome 01.04.2025
4 years of imprisonment in colony under enhanced security conditions.
Appeal date unknown
unknown.
How to write a letter
✏️ A postcard with words of encouragement (a poem by your favorite author, song lyrics, or a beautiful quote). Trust us, even such simple gestures are very meaningful to a person in jail.
✏️ Your life events. To a person who is in isolation for a long time, any story about your routine endeavors will be a window into normal life. Your day-to-day worries and mundane matters are much more interesting than the daily grind of life behind bars.
✏️ It is important to share news. Mention the most notable and interesting occurrences depending on your pen-pal's interests.
✍️️ Remember that every letter is censored. This means that your letters are read by strangers whose main goal is to limit inmates' access to information or to use it against the prisoners or even you.
So try to avoid:
👉️️ harsh statements regarding ongoing political matters
👉 statements against the authorities and public servants
👉 foul language
👉 discussion of the circumstances of the criminal case
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