Special proceedings initiated against journalist Uladzimir Khilmanovich

Jour­nal­ist and human rights activist Uladz­imir Khilmanovich has been accused of pro­mot­ing extrem­ist activ­i­ty. He was sum­moned to Hrod­na Region­al Depart­ment of the Inves­tiga­tive Com­mit­tee.

Uladz­imir Khilmanovich. Pho­to cred­it: hpravy.org.

This was report­ed on March 13, 2024 by the telegram chan­nel Spe­cial Pro­ceed­ings. Offi­cial­ly. Uladz­imir Khilmanovich has been out­side Belarus for sev­er­al years due to per­se­cu­tion for his pub­lic and pro­fes­sion­al activ­i­ties. The inves­tiga­tive author­i­ties are aware of this. Spe­cial pro­ceed­ings allow for the con­sid­er­a­tion of court cas­es in absen­tia, with­out the defendant’s par­tic­i­pa­tion.

Uladz­imir Khilmanovich is accused of pro­mot­ing extrem­ist activ­i­ty, accord­ing to the offi­cial report.

The jour­nal­ist could face up to 5 years of restrict­ed free­dom or up to 7 years of impris­on­ment based on this charge.

In Novem­ber 2023, after the jour­nal­ist had left Belarus, inves­ti­ga­tors seized fur­ni­ture and house­hold appli­ances from the apart­ment where Khilmanovich was reg­is­tered in Hrod­na. A week lat­er, on Decem­ber 1^st, inves­ti­ga­tors also searched the apart­ment of Uladz­imir Khilmanovich’s wife, where he had lived from 2014 to 2021. Law enforce­ment offi­cials seized var­i­ous items, includ­ing a com­put­er proces­sor, an old cer­tifi­cate, 25 books, a music CD, postage stamps, envelopes, post­cards, book­lets, badges, and news­pa­pers. House­hold appli­ances were also seized from the wife’s apart­ment.

The Inves­tiga­tive Com­mit­tee has report­ed that spe­cial pro­ceed­ings were ini­ti­at­ed against Siarhei Ver­ameyen­ka, a for­mer own­er of the store Admet­nasts, which sold sou­venirs in the nation­al style. He was charged with the same offens­es as Uladz­imir Khilmanovich, which are out­lined in parts 1 and 2 of Arti­cle 361–4 of the Crim­i­nal Code.