Political prisoner Zmicier Daškievič gets another prison term

A court in Belarus has sentenced opposition activist Zmicier Daškievič to one year in a high-security penal colony for "malicious disobedience to the administration of a correctional facility" (Article 411 of the Criminal Code). 

"In the week of parental love, marked in this country, my husband and the father of four small children has received one year in a high-security facility," Zmicier's wife, Nasta Daškievič wrote in social media. According to Nasta, the sentence was based on minor reasons: "alleged­ly refus­ing to go for a walk, talk­ing to anoth­er inmate and stay­ing on the floor in the pun­ish­ment cell."  

Last summer, Daškievič was to walk out free  after serving fully his 18-month term for taking part in the 2020 protests. Instead, he ended up again behind bars. It became known later that authorities opened a new criminal case against him under the article that deals with "malicious disobedience to prison's admnistration."

The police came to Zmicier and Nasta Daškievič in March 2022 and searched their house. Zmicier was initially arrested for 15 days in administrative proccedings. The couple later was charged in a crimical case. Zmicier was sentenced to one and a half in a penal colony. Nasta received three years in home confinement. The couple has four children. Human rights defenders recognized Zmicier Daškievič as a poliitcal prisoner.