Ales Lyubenchuk

Affiliated media: Freelance journalist

Incident date: October 27, 2022

Attack type:

• Court trial

Who attacked: Authorities

Source: Belarusian Association of Journalists

Location: Belarus, Minsk

Additional information:

Minsk City Court sentenced journalist Ales Lyubenchuk to three years in a general regime penal colony. The journalist was accused of creation or participation in an extremist formation (Part 3 of Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus). Judge Alena Ananich considered the case. The essence of the accusation is unknown. In correspondence with his relatives, Ales said that his health in the pre-trial detention center № 1 in Minsk, where he was held before the trial, had deteriorated considerably. Earlier, Ales Lubenchuk used to cooperate with the Belsat TV channel which was recognized as an «extremist formation» by the Belarusian authorities in November 2021. Lately, the journalist has been engaged in tourism and the restoration of the historical and cultural heritage of his district.