Philosopher Uladzimir Matskevich Sentenced To Five Years In Prison

The hearing was closed.

The sentence to philosopher Uladzimir Matskevich: five years in a medium-security penal colony. Viasna human rights center reported this information.

Judge Siarhei Yepikhau considered the case. The hearing was closed.

Matskevich was found guilty under three articles of the Criminal Code: Article 342 (Organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them); Part 1 of Article 361 (Creation of an extremist formation, or participation in it, they mean the Shod platform); Part 1 of Art. 368 (insulting Aliksandr Lukashenka).

Uladzimir Matskevich was detained on August 4, 2021. After six months behind bars, on February 4, the 65-year-old political prisoner began a hunger strike. He demanded a change in the preventive measure and the appointment of a trial date. Ten days later, he went on a dry hunger strike. He lost a lot of weight and became unwell during that time. On February 16, Matskevich started to lose consciousness, and only after this he received medical assistance and met with an investigator. On that day, he ended his hunger strike and said that 'the case made progress'.

On April 14, the case was brought to court, and on June 9, the trial began.

Vladimir Matskevich is a philosopher and methodologist, public and political figure, and TV host. He is the founder and head of the Agency for Humanitarian Technologies, the first head of the EuroBelarus Board of the International Consortium (an international public organization created by representatives of NGOs in 2007 and registered in Lithuania in 2009), founder of a program for creation of a modern university, the Flying University.