Supreme Court rejects appeal of journalist Iryna Slaunikava in closed session
On 6 December, the Supreme Court of Belarus considered the appeal filed by Iryna Slaunikava’s lawyers challenging the decision of the Homel Regional Court. In a closed session, the court denied the re-examination of the case or remission of her sentence (five years of imprisonment).
The journalist’s lawyers appealed against two of her charges: organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order and participation in an extremist formation.
However, judge Fiodar Chubkavets found no legal grounds to challenge the decision of the first-instance court, so the verdict remains the same. Iryna Slaunikava is serving her sentence in Homel remand prison #3.
The journalist and her husband Aliaksandr Loika were detained in late October 2021 at the National Airport, when returning from a vacation. Aliaksandr was released after 45 days, while Iryna was charged with several crimes related to her journalistic work at the Belsat TV channel.