Trial of journalist Volha Radzivonava began in Minsk

The crim­i­nal case hear­ing start­ed in the Min­sk City Court on Novem­ber 16. Vol­ha Radzivon­a­va is charged with four counts of crim­i­nal defama­tion. She faces up to six years of free­dom restric­tion or impris­on­ment. Judge Vera Halauko­va pre­sides over the tri­al.

Vol­ha Radzivonava’s charged include:

• Defam­ing the Pres­i­dent of the Repub­lic of Belarus
• Dis­cred­it­ing the Repub­lic of Belarus
• Incite­ment to racial, nation­al, reli­gious, or oth­er social dis­cord or enmi­ty
• Insult­ing the Pres­i­dent of the Repub­lic of Belarus.

Jour­nal­ist Vol­ha Radzivon­a­va was arrest­ed on March 7, 2024. Dur­ing her deten­tion in a remand cen­ter, she was sent to a men­tal hos­pi­tal for psy­chi­atric exam­i­na­tion.

Vol­ha Radzivonava’s sick moth­er, who is over 80 years old, needs con­stant care.

On Octo­ber 30, 2024, the human rights com­mu­ni­ty rec­og­nized Vol­ha Radzivon­a­va as a polit­i­cal pris­on­er.