The Orsha District Court of Belarus sentenced the man who insulted President Alexander Lukashenko to one year and three months in a general regime colony. This is reported by the Tut.by portal with reference to the court’s press service.
The identity of the convicted person is unknown, the trial was closed, the details of the criminal proceedings were not disclosed. It is known that the case against the Belarusian was initiated because of a post on a social network, and also that the court ruled to confiscate the instrument of the crime – the computer system unit. It is noted that the verdict has not yet entered into legal force: it can still be appealed and protested.
According to the newspaper, since the beginning of mass protests in Belarus, five people have been convicted under the article on insulting the president. Three of them were sent to places of imprisonment, including an 18-year-old girl who, during a September demonstration, sprayed on the shields of the security forces’ special equipment.
In Belarus, protests have continued for the sixth month since the presidential elections on August 9, 2020. The actions are harshly suppressed by the police and riot police. Tens of thousands of people were detained, and many spoke of torture and beatings in isolation wards. Four people were killed in clashes with security forces.