Belarusian activist convicted of attempting to contact spy agency
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 1 July 2013 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Belarusian activist convicted of attempting to contact spy agency, 1 July 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/51e79b7d1f.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
July 01, 2013
By RFE/RL's Belarus Service
The scene outside the courtroom in Vitsebsk
VITSEBSK, Belarus – An opposition activist in Belarus has been sentenced to 18 months in jail after being convicted of attempting to contact a foreign intelligence service.
Andrey Haydukou was sentenced on July 1 by the Vitsebsk Regional Court in western Belarus.
He was originally charged with high treason and espionage, but those charges were dropped during the trial, which was held behind closed doors.
Haydukou's lawyer told journalists he will appeal the sentence.
The youth activist was arrested in November.
Belarus's KGB said he was detained while in possession of materials that might be of interest for foreign intelligence agencies.
The sentence did not specify which country's intelligence service Haydukou attempted to contact.
In 2010-11, he served as an aide to opposition presidential candidate Andrey Sannikau, who received political asylum in Britain last year.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website