On August 19, the Grodno Regional Court announced in absentia the verdict of journalist and human rights defender Uladzimir Khilmanovich in a criminal case.
The political punitive sentence was issued by judge Ihar Sobaleu. According to the set of articles, he sentenced Khilmanovich to imprisonment for a period of 5 years in a “correctional” colony under high security conditions and a huge fine of 40 thousand Belarusian rubles.
The publicist was charged under two articles of the Criminal Code: “creation of an extremist formation or participation in it” and “promotion of extremist activities”. But the formal nature of the charge is still unknown. Khilmanovich has not lived in Belarus for more than three years. The criminal case against him was initiated in November 2023.
The court did not lift the arrest of most of the journalist’s property: a TV-set, a washing machine, a refrigerator, a building in the village of Navaselki in the Mastouski district, and a two-room apartment in Grodna remain under arrest. All this is planned to be confiscated in case of non-payment of the fine.
