54-year-old Sergei is accused of facilitating extremist activities. He is invited to return to Belarus and come to the department of the Investigative Committee for the Grodno region.
The Investigative Committee began the process of special proceedings against the ex-director of the Grodno children's hospice Olga Velichko. “Special proceedings are proceedings in a criminal case against an accused who is outside the Republic of Belarus and is avoiding appearing before the body conducting the criminal proceedings.” That is, special proceedings are actually the first step towards trials in absentia of those who are abroad, recently legalized in Belarus. In July 2022, Alexander Lukashenko signed a law on amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code, which allow Belarusians who are abroad to be tried in absentia and even sentenced to death.
Trial outcome 02.08.2024
9 years of imprisonment in colony under general regime conditions (trial in absentia).
Resident of Postavy and owner of the training hall "ReZhim".
It is known that in 2021, Vitaly’s house was searched; it was carried out in connection with a criminal case for insulting the delegates of the Supreme Council from the Postavy district. The insult allegedly took place on one of the social networks.
In 2024, the Investigative Committee began “special proceedings” against Vitaly. The special jurisdiction mechanism allows the Belarusian authorities to try defendants in absentia if they remain abroad.
Mikalai was detained in November 2023 as part of a criminal case opened after a protest that took place in Minsk on August 28, 2020 against the results of the presidential elections and violence in the country. He was convicted of participating in the protest under the article "on organizing and preparing actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them."
In August 2024, a court hearing in absentia was held as part of a special proceeding against Mikalai “on replacing the restriction of freedom without sending him to an open-type correctional facility.”
Trial outcome 29.01.2024
2 years 6 months restrictions of freedom without referral to an open-type correctional facility.
Grodno human rights activist and journalist Vladimir Khilmanovich has not lived in Belarus for two and a half years. But on December 1, 2023, a search was conducted in the apartment of Vladimir Khilmanovich’s wife, where he lived from 2014 to 2021, and a criminal case was opened.
Trial outcome 19.08.2024
5 years of imprisonment in colony under enhanced security conditions, 1000 basic values fine (trial in absentia).
Appeal 25.10.2024
the sentence was upheld.
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