Reserve Lieutenant Colonel Sentenced To Five Years For 'Insulting Lukashenka' In Belarus

They were also stripped of their rank.

In Belarus, Lieutenant Colonel Andrei Bykau was sentenced to five years in a reinforced regime colony and stripped of his rank, reports the human rights centre Viasna. He also has to pay Br1,850 (50 basic units). The reason for the trial was Bykau's comments on the Internet.

Judge of Hrodna Regional Court Vasil Skok found the man guilty under five articles of the Criminal Code:

Art 361 part 3 (appeals to sanctions);

Article 130 part 1 (incitement of social enmity);

Article 369 (insulting a representative of the authorities);

Article 367, part 2 (slander of Lukashenka);

Article 366, part 1 and part 2 (violence or threat of violence, destruction or damage to property against an official);

Article 368 part 2 (insulting Lukashenka).

In November 2022 the KGB added Bykauto the "list of persons involved in terrorist activities".