Ex-Head Of 'Ahova Ptushak Batskaushchyny' Released From Prison

Viktor Fenchuk spent a year and a half in prison for protesting.

The former head of the "Akhova Ptushak Batskaushchyny" liquidated by the authorities, ornithologist Viktar Fenchuk, has been released from prison, Euroradio reports.

According to Euroradio, Viktar Fenchuk has served his sentence and has been released.

We remind you that on 12 May 2022, the court found the scientist guilty under Article 342 of the Criminal Code (organising and preparing actions that grossly violate public order). The case was based on several photographs of protest marches in which he took part.

The ornithologist was sentenced to 2.5 years in a general regime colony, counting the time spent in pre-trial detention as one and a half days. Thus, he spent about one and a half years in prison.

From 2007 to 2014, Viktar Fenchuk was the head of Akhova Ptushak Batskaushchyny, after which he became its employee. APB is one of the largest nature conservation organisations in Belarus and has been involved in bird protection and biodiversity conservation in the country for more than 20 years.

Viktar Fenchuk was arrested on 1 September 2021 and the organisation was liquidated in March 2022, accused of "extremism under the guise of voluntary work". In particular, for supporting the protest with the expression "Ptushki z narodam".