Andrey Kuznetschyk

Affiliated media: Radio Svaboda, Journalist Freelancer

Incident date: June 8, 2022

Attack type:

• Court trial

Who attacked: Authorities

Source: Belarusian Association of Journalists

Location: Belarus, Minsk

Additional information:

Andrey Kuznetschyk, a freelance journalist of Radio Svaboda, was sentenced to six years of a reinforced regime colony. He was accused of «creation of an extremist formation» (Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus). The criminal case was heard in Mogilev regional court behind closed doors. Judge Ihar Shvedou handed down the verdict, he reviewed the case of Andrey Kuznetschik in just a few hours. Radio Svaboda was recognized as an «extremist formation» in Belarus. This happened a month after Kuznetschyk was detained and taken into custody. Kuznetschik was detained on November 25, 2021, in Minsk by law enforcement officers in plain clothes. On November 26 and December 6, 2021, the court was arresting Kuznetschyk for 10 days. After his arrest, the journalist was never released. On December 23, it became known that a criminal case was brought against him.