Activist Paviel Vinahradaŭ charged under three criminal articles for a Facebook post

December 28. Political prisoner Paviel Vinahradaŭ, detained by riot police on December 22, was charged under three articles of the Criminal Code for a post on Facebook, the unregistered Viasna Human Rights Center reports.

The activist is charged under Art. 130 (incitement of racial, national, religious or other social enmity), Art. 367 (defamation of the president) and Art. 342 (organization and preparation of group actions that grossly violate public order) of the Criminal Code.

Vinahradaŭ, 33 years old, is an active member of the democracy movement. In 2020-2021, he was repeatedly detained and punished with administrative arrests for violating the procedure for organizing or holding mass events.

Vinahradaŭ had previously been a political prisoner. In 2008, he was a defendant in the “Case of Fourteen” for his participation in an entrepreneurs’ rally and was sentenced to two years of freedom restriction without being sent to a penal institution.

Since 2010, Vinahradaŭ had been active in “Tell the Truth” campaign. He was arrested on January 5, 2011 after a protest against the falsification of 2010 presidential elections and accused of organizing mass riots and participating in them, as well as insulting state symbols. He was sentenced to four years of imprisonment in a high-security penal colony. He was pardoned afterwards.