Court hands down lengthy terms for alleged arson attack on pro-Łukašenka MP’s home

June 21, BPN. The Minsk City Court has sentenced Vadzim Prakopjeŭ, an exiled opposition activist and co-founder of the Belarusian volunteer regiment Pahonia fighting Russia in Ukraine, to 25 years in prison without the defendant being present.

Authorities accused him of complicity in an alleged arson attack on MP Aleh Hajdukievič’s home. He was supposed to answer 17 criminal charges including terrorism and plotting to seize state power.

Prakopjeŭ was ordered to pay a fine of 37,000 rubels (over $12,400) and given the maximum possible punishment as “the leader of a criminal group,” prosecutor Maksim Čuprys told state media journalists.

The Vajciachovič family was also sentenced to lengthy prison terms: Vital and son Uładzisłaŭ were given 19 and 21 years in prison, respectively; his wife Volha and daughter-in-law Anastasija, 11 years each.

Ihar Čamiakin and Siarhiej Lisoŭski were given 20 years in prison each; Dzianis Chamicevič and Uładzimir Saviankoŭ, 16 years; Siarhiej Sakałoŭ, 14 years, Mikałaj Roj, 12 years; Dźmitryj Neviarkievič, 11 years; Volha Pietuch, 10 years; Piotr Jurkievič and Dzianis Fiłončyk, nine years; and Eduard Piastrak, three and a half years.

They all faced multiple charges, including terrorism, forming an extremist group and participating in its activities.

Alaksiej Michajłaŭ, accused of failing to report a crime, was released in the courtroom.

In July 2021, Hajdukievič said that someone threw Molotov cocktails at his home but no one was injured and no damage was caused to the building. In December 2022, he claimed that Prakopjeŭ, Čamiakin and Chamicevič were behind the attack.