Belarus imprisons journalist Pavlo Mazheika and ex-lawyer Yuliya Yurgilevich for 6 years

The Grodno Regional Court (Belarus) has sentenced journalist Pavlo Mazheika to six years in a strict regime prison and former lawyer Yuliya Yurgilevich – to 6 years in a general-regime prison.

This is said by the opposition Belarusian Association of Journalists.

They were found guilty of facilitating “extremist activity” committed repeatedly (Section 2 of Article 361-4).

Yuliya Yurgilevich was detained after returning to Belarus on August 31, 2022. She defended the artist Alies Pushkin (who died in prison recently), the rock musician Igar Bantsar, the blogger Vadimati and other detainees in political cases.

Pavel Mazheika was detained at the same time as Yurgilevich. Most recently, he was the director of the Center for Urban Life, a private educational and cultural site. In May 2021, the economic court of the Grodno Region closed the Center for Urban Life because of the exhibited painting by the artist Alies Pushkin. Mazheika was convicted for allegedly posting information on the Belsat website that Yurgilevich was leaving the bar and about Pushkin’s sentence.

Mazheika and Yurgilevich pleaded not guilty. At the court, Yuliya Yurgilevich stated that she was kept in “barbaric conditions” and was not allowed to get acquainted with the case.