Journalist Siarhiej Hardzijevič given 18-month prison sentence

Judge Hien­adź Kud­lasievič of the Ivana­va Dis­trict Court in the Brest region also ordered the 50-year-old jour­nal­ist to pay 2,000 rubels (some $800) to each of the two offi­cers by way of com­pen­sa­tion.

Mr. Hardzijevič’s mobile phone was con­fis­cat­ed as the instru­ment of his crime. A freeze was placed on his phone, com­put­er, cam­era and car.

The man was tak­en into cus­tody imme­di­ate­ly after the sen­tence was hand­ed down. The lawyers for the jour­nal­ist are set to appeal the sen­tence.

Mr. Hardz­i­je­vič had his Drahičyn home searched at least three times. He was under house arrest from Decem­ber 25, 2020, to May 3, 2021.

On Decem­ber 31, 2020, he was for­mal­ly charged with insult­ing the pres­i­dent of Belarus under the Crim­i­nal Code’s Arti­cle 368 in con­nec­tion with a mes­sage sent in a Viber chat in Sep­tem­ber last year.

Mr. Hardz­i­je­vič refused to speak dur­ing his tri­al and did not admit the charges.