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. The portal Tut.by reports this with reference to the press service of the court.
The identity of the convict is unknown, the trial was held behind closed doors, 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 sentence has not yet entered into legal force: it can still be appealed and protested.
According to the newspaper, since the beginning of the 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, painted the shields of special equipment of security forces with spray paint.
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.
