Evidence: Mentions in the media of cases involving the arrest of activists from “Our House” and human rights defenders, as well as victims of political repression supported by “Our House.”

On May 4, 2021, 20-year-old Russian citizen Yegor Dudnikov was detained in Minsk on charges of “organizing group actions that grossly violate public order” under Part 1 of Article 342 of the Criminal Code. It became known that the criminal case was initiated due to his participation in voicing video clips and audio messages for the Telegram channel “OGSB” for the Belarusian opposition. Yegor stated that during interrogations, he was brutally beaten and forced to testify, including about his alleged connections with opposition activist Olga Karach. On December 27, 2021, the Minsk City Court announced the sentence: 11 years of imprisonment in a high-security penal colony.

https://spring96.org/ru/news/103666

https://prisoners.spring96.org/ru/person/jahor-dudnikau

On July 14, 2021, Yulia Goryachko, a volunteer and activist of the public organization “Our House” from Minsk, was detained. She was arrested under a criminal case for organizing group actions that grossly violate public order (Part 1 of Article 342 of the Criminal Code). Before the trial, she was held in pre-trial detention center No. 1.

On March 10, 2022, the criminal case against Yulia Goryachko began to be heard in the Soviet District Court of Minsk. On March 16, 2022, the verdict was announced: the court found her guilty and sentenced her to 1 year of imprisonment in a general regime correctional colony.

https://prisoners.spring96.org/ru/person/julija-haraczka

https://spring96.org/ru/news/104839

https://spring96.org/ru/news/104366

https://belhumanrights.house/en/news/lawtrend-hronologiya-narushenij-svobody-associacij-i-presledovaniya-organizacij-grazhdanskogo-obshestva-v-belarusi

On August 3, 2021, Ivan Zalivko was sentenced in the Leninsky District Court to 2 years of restricted freedom without being sent to an open-type correctional facility. The Mogilev resident was found guilty of leaving an offensive comment directed at a district police officer from Bobruisk in Olga Karach’s group on “Odnoklassniki” in July of the previous year.

https://prisoners.spring96.org/ru/person/ivan-zaliuka

On August 7, 2021, Andrey Nikitievich Andreyev was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months of restricted freedom with placement in an open-type correctional facility for insulting a government official (Article 369 of the Criminal Code). Andreyev was found guilty of insulting Senior Lieutenant Volnich of the Gantsevichi District Traffic Police on “Odnoklassniki.” He had written the word “Scum!” under a post by Olga Karach, referring to the officer who, during the dispersal of a solidarity chain, applied a painful chokehold to a detained participant, pressing his knee against the person’s neck. On May 20, 2023, the political prisoner was released from IOUT-55 after fully serving his sentence.

https://prisoners.spring96.org/ru/person/andrei-andreev

On August 13, 2021, the Leninsky District Court heard the criminal case against Dmitry Sorogovets, who was accused of insulting police officer Sergey Rudko (Article 369 of the Criminal Code) for a comment on “Odnoklassniki” under a post by Olga Karach. Judge Yulia Shut sentenced him to 2 years of restricted freedom without being sent to a correctional facility.

https://para2022.org/materials/01781ddd-c581-4129-9f83-88d124b98c15/

On August 31, 2021, the criminal case against a resident of the regional center, Alesya Bokhun, was heard on charges of insulting a government official (Article 369 of the Criminal Code).

On July 9, 2020, a story about a brutal district police officer from Bobruisk named Komar was posted on Olga Karach’s “Odnoklassniki” page. Under his photo, Alesya left a comment: “What an ugly mug!” At the end of February or early March, a search was conducted at Bokhun’s residence.

The court sentenced her to 2 years of restricted freedom without being sent to a correctional facility and ordered her to pay compensation of 1,000 rubles to the victim.

https://spring96.org/ru/news/104876

On August 19, 2021, a trial was held in the Soviet District Court of Minsk for Olga Varivonchik. She was convicted under Article 369 of the Criminal Code for insulting Vadim Prigara, the head of the Molodechno District Department of Internal Affairs, on the social network “Odnoklassniki.”

Varivonchik was accused of leaving an insulting comment under a post by Olga Karach and giving a “thumbs down,” which was equated to an insult. During the trial, Olga was asked if she personally knew Olga Karach, to which she replied negatively.

The court sentenced Olga Varivonchik to 2 years of restricted freedom without being sent to a correctional facility. Additionally, the court ordered the confiscation of her phone as an instrument used to commit the crime.

https://spring96.org/ru/news/104737,

On August 24, 2021, the Leninsky District Court in Grodno reviewed the criminal case against Andrey Krysuk for insulting a government official (Article 369 of the Criminal Code).

On July 8, 2020, while at home and after watching a video by activist Olga Karach, Krysuk posted an offensive comment about Bobruisk District Police officer Andrey Komar on “Odnoklassniki.”

The court sentenced Andrey Krysuk to 2 years of restricted freedom without being sent to an open-type correctional facility. Additionally, the defendant was ordered to pay 1,000 rubles in moral compensation to the victim, Komar.

https://spring96.org/ru/news/104797

On September 3, 2021, the Bobruisk District Court delivered a verdict in the criminal case against Vladimir Vitkovsky, who was accused of insulting a government official. On June 24, 2020, he left an offensive comment under a photograph of Vitaly Kuleshov, which read: “I gave the order to detain, beat, and choke peaceful demonstrators and journalists in Gantsevichi,” posted on Olga Karach’s page on “Odnoklassniki.”

Judge Dmitry Krenzhievsky sentenced Vitkovsky to 1 year of restricted freedom without being sent to a correctional facility and ordered the confiscation of his laptop as a means used to commit the crime.

https://prisoners.spring96.org/ru/person/uladzimir-vitkouski

On September 6, 2021, the Baranovichi District Court and the City Court of Baranovichi announced the verdict in the criminal case against Dmitry Bubenchik, who was accused of insulting a police officer.

On July 8, 2020, Dmitry Bubenchik left a comment on Olga Karach’s post on the social network “Odnoklassniki,” insulting the police officer, Senior District Inspector Andrey Komar from the First May District of Bobruisk, with the following remark: “Another scum of Lukashism.”

As a result, the court sentenced Dmitry Bubenchik to 2 years of restricted freedom without being sent to a correctional facility.

https://spring96.org/ru/news/104950

On September 9, 2021, the First May District Court of Vitebsk found 46-year-old Vitebsk resident Alexander Vasseykin guilty of publicly insulting a government official in connection with their official duties (Article 369 of the Criminal Code).

On June 22, 2020, Alexander Vasseykin, using his mobile phone, posted a one-word insulting comment on Olga Karach’s page on the social network “Odnoklassniki” under a photograph of a police officer apprehending a participant in an unauthorized event during the election period. He repeated the comment twice and negatively assessed the actions of Senior Lieutenant of the Traffic Police Igor Volnich.

Police officer Igor Volnich from Gantsevichi did not participate in the court hearing and requested that the trial proceed without him. Volnich also requested that Olga Karach be prosecuted, as he claimed that the text posted under the photo was inaccurate and tarnished his honor and dignity. As moral compensation, the Gantsevichi police officer demanded 1,500 rubles from Vasseykin.

The court sentenced Vasseykin to 2 years and 6 months of restricted freedom without being sent to a correctional facility.

https://spring96.org/ru/news/104929

On September 16, 2021, the Zavodskoy District Court of Minsk reviewed the criminal case of Alexander Androsyuk, a construction worker from the village of Svisloch employed by “Belenergoстрой.” He was charged with insulting a government official (Article 369 of the Criminal Code of Belarus) — Traffic Police officer Igor Volnich from Gantsevichi.

On June 23, 2020, the defendant posted an offensive comment on Olga Karach’s page on the social network “Odnoklassniki” under a photo of Volnich apprehending a person.

The court sentenced Androsyuk to 2 years of restricted freedom without being sent to a correctional facility and granted the claim for material damages in the amount of 1,500 rubles.

https://spring96.org/ru/news/104993

On September 23, 2021, the Lepel District Court reviewed the criminal case against Dmitry Burdenko, who was charged with publicly insulting a government official (Article 369 of the Criminal Code).

On May 26, 2020, Dmitry Burdenko, while in Lepel, left an offensive comment on Olga Karach’s page on the social network “Odnoklassniki” under a post featuring a photo of Igor Volnich, where he is shown pressing a detained person to the ground with his knee. The comment read: “Scum.”

Burdenko, upon seeing the post on Olga Karach’s page, was shocked by the police officer’s actions, which he viewed not as lawful detention but as disproportionate violence against a person. Outraged by the officer’s actions, he left the comment in the heat of the moment.

The court sentenced Burdenko to 1 year and 6 months of restricted freedom without being sent to a correctional facility.

https://spring96.org/ru/news/105086

On October 4, 2021, the First May District Court of Vitebsk delivered a verdict for 50-year-old laborer Alexander Shmatov. On June 25, 2020, on the social network “Odnoklassniki” on Olga Karach’s page, Shmatov used his mobile phone to leave a comment under a photo showing Gantsevichi Traffic Police officer Igor Volnich and a colleague apprehending a demonstrator. The comment read: “There are plenty of such half-wits everywhere.”

The court sentenced Shmatov to 2 years of restricted freedom with placement in an open-type correctional facility.

https://spring96.org/ru/news/105206,

https://prisoners.spring96.org/ru/person/aljaksandr-szmatau

On October 5, 2021, the criminal case against Sergey Chernoooky was reviewed. He was accused of insulting Traffic Police officer Igor Volnich from Gantsevichi.

Between June 21 and 23, 2020, while at home, Chernoooky used his laptop to leave a comment under a photo of Traffic Police officer Igor Volnich, which was posted on Olga Karach’s page on the social network “Odnoklassniki.”

The court sentenced Sergey Chernoooky to 2 years of restricted freedom without being sent to an open-type correctional facility and ordered him to pay 1,000 rubles in moral compensation to the victim.

https://spring96.org/ru/news/105261

On October 25, 2021, the Oshmyany District Court held a trial for Igor Romanyuk. He was accused of insulting the head of the Gantsevichi District Department of Internal Affairs, Vitaly Kuleshov (Article 369 of the Criminal Code), for a comment that read: “Not long now, scum. It’s time to start fearing your own people.” The comment was posted on Olga Karach’s page on the social network “Odnoklassniki.”

The court sentenced Romanyuk to 2.5 years of restricted freedom with placement in an open-type correctional facility (“chemistry”), ordered him to pay 700 rubles in moral compensation, and confiscated his laptop for state benefit.

https://spring96.org/ru/news/105520

On October 27, 2021, 57-year-old Andrei Vasilevsky was convicted under Article 369 of the Criminal Code (insulting a government official). He was found guilty of insulting police officer Vladimir Kozlovsky from Grodno—the same officer who fell to the ground during a scuffle on May 29, 2020, at a signature collection rally for presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.

Vasilevsky left a comment with the word “scum” on “Odnoklassniki” under a post by Olga Karach about the incident.

The court sentenced Andrei Vasilevsky to 2.5 years of restricted freedom without being sent to a correctional facility.

https://ru.hrodna.life/2021/11/01/palitychny-tydzen-24/

https://nashaniva.com/ru/279852

https://spring96.org/ru/news/105502

On October 29, 2021, Dmitry Dudoyt, a resident of Smorgon, was sentenced to 2 years of restricted freedom with placement in a correctional facility for a comment under a post by Olga Karach. He was accused of insulting a government official in connection with their official duties (Article 369 of the Criminal Code of Belarus).

On June 21, 2020, Dmitry used offensive language to describe Vitaly Kuleshov, the head of the Gantsevichi District Department of Internal Affairs, in a comment on Olga Karach’s page on “Odnoklassniki.”

From December 29, 2021, Dmitry was serving his sentence at IOUT-43 in Mogilev. On January 5, 2022, he committed suicide while returning from a clinic unescorted.

 https://prisoners.spring96.org/ru/person/dzmitryi-dudoic

On November 1, 2021, a verdict was delivered for insulting government officials under Article 369 of the Criminal Code. Alexander Gladkikh left a comment on the social network “Odnoklassniki” under a post by activist Olga Karach, which featured a controversial video. In the video, Traffic Police officer Igor Volnich from the Gantsevichi District Department is seen putting his foot on the neck of a participant in a peaceful gathering of citizens dissenting against the government’s policies, as reported by “Polesskaya Vesna.”

The court sentenced Alexander Gladkikh to 2 years of restricted freedom with placement in an open-type correctional facility and ordered him to pay 1,500 rubles in compensation for “moral suffering” to Volnich.

https://spring96.org/ru/news/112982

https://palesse.press/news.php?slug=1117

On November 2, 2021, the Rechitsa District Court reviewed the case of Valery Senchko, who was charged under Article 369 of the Criminal Code for insulting a government official. Senchko had left a comment on a post by Olga Karach on “Odnoklassniki” about Igor Volnich, who used a painful chokehold on a detained participant during the dispersal of a solidarity chain, pressing his knee on the person’s neck. Valery referred to Gantsevichi District Police officer Igor Volnich as a “shithead.”

Judge Ivanyutchenko sentenced Valery Senchko to 2 years of restricted freedom without placement in an open-type correctional facility. Additionally, Senchko was ordered to pay 1,500 rubles in moral compensation to Igor Volnich.

https://spring96.org/ru/news/105620

On November 5, 2021, the First May District Court of Vitebsk reviewed the case of 41-year-old carpenter Alexander Safonov, charged under Article 369 of the Criminal Code (“insulting a government official”). Safonov was accused of insulting Traffic Police officer Igor Volnich from Gantsevichi and Captain of the Police Andrey Komar from Bobruisk on the social network “Odnoklassniki.”

On June 24, 2020, using his mobile phone, Safonov left an offensive comment about Senior Lieutenant of Traffic Police Igor Volnich. The comment, using vulgar language, was posted on Olga Karach’s page under a photo with the caption: “This is how I skillfully pinned the head of a peaceful demonstrator to the pavement during the arrest. Igor Volnich, Traffic Police officer from Gantsevichi.”

Between July 9 and 11, 2020, while in Minsk, Safonov left a second offensive comment on Karach’s page on “Odnoklassniki,” this time targeting Captain of the Police Andrey Komar from the First May District Department of Internal Affairs in Bobruisk. The comment included derogatory terms such as “asshole,” “another cop scum,” and “faggot.”

The court sentenced Safonov to 2 years and 6 months of restricted freedom with placement in an open-type correctional facility. Additionally, he was ordered to pay 1,500 rubles in material compensation to the offended police officers.

https://spring96.org/ru/news/105613

On November 18, 2021, the Lenin District Court of Minsk sentenced Marina Snytsko to 3 years of restricted freedom without placement in an open-type correctional facility for publicly insulting police officer Andrey Komar. The prosecution claimed that she left an offensive comment under a post by Olga Karach on “Odnoklassniki”.

The court also ordered Snytsko to pay 1,000 rubles in moral compensation and 87 rubles in court fees, and to have her mobile phone confiscated.

https://spring96.org/ru/news/105754

On November 17, 2021, the Pinsk District Court and Pinsk City Court delivered a verdict in the criminal case against Denis Stasevich, who was accused of insulting a government official under Article 369 of the Criminal Code.

On June 25, 2020, Denis Stasevich left a comment on Olga Karach’s page on the social network “Odnoklassniki” under a post about police officer Volnich. The comment, posted under a photo showing Volnich pressing his knee on the neck of an elderly man, read: “F*cking hero!”

As a result, the court sentenced Denis Stasevich to 2 years of restricted freedom without placement in a correctional facility. Additionally, his phone was confiscated for state benefit, and he was ordered to pay 1,000 rubles in moral compensation to Volnich.

https://spring96.org/ru/news/105759

On November 19, 2021, the Kletsk District Court heard another criminal case involving the well-known Gantsevichi District Police officer Igor Volnich. This time, the defendant was 37-year-old tractor driver Dmitry Gavris from the Kletsk Feed Mill.

On June 21, 2020, Dmitry left a derogatory comment (a vulgar term) under a post by Olga Karach on “Odnoklassniki,” about Igor Volnich, who was shown using a painful chokehold on a detained participant during the dispersal of a solidarity chain, pressing his knee on the person’s neck.

The court sentenced Dmitry to 2 years of restricted freedom without placement in a correctional facility and ordered him to pay 1,500 rubles in moral compensation to Volnich.

https://spring96.org/ru/news/105833

On December 7, 2021, the Dokshitsy District Court delivered a verdict in the case of Alexander Selitsky, who was convicted for insulting a government official in connection with the performance of their official duties under Article 369 of the Criminal Code.

Selitsky had left an offensive comment on a post by activist Olga Karach on “Odnoklassniki” about police officer Andrey Komar from Bobruisk. His comment read: “Are there thin district officers? Ready to spew all sorts of nonsense in court for an extra bag of feed, but nothing lasts forever, and we’ll chase these ass-kissing bastards away from the trough with a stick.”

The court sentenced Alexander Selitsky to 2 years and 3 months of imprisonment in a general-regime penal colony. He was taken into custody immediately after the verdict was announced. Additionally, Selitsky was ordered to pay 1,000 rubles in moral compensation to the victim.

https://spring96.org/ru/news/105981

On December 22, 2021, the Rogachev District Court delivered a verdict in a criminal case involving the insult of a government official. The defendant was Alexander Kardonsky, a local resident.

In October 2020, under a video of a peaceful demonstration dispersal involving police officer Volnich, which Olga Karach posted on “Odnoklassniki,” Alexander left a comment: “To the gallows.” A total of 1,870 negative comments were made under that post about officer Volnich’s actions.

The court sentenced Alexander Kardonsky to 2 years of restricted freedom with placement in an open-type correctional facility and ordered him to pay 1,500 rubles in moral compensation to Volnich.

https://spring96.org/ru/news/106199

On December 23, 2021, the Rogachev District Court delivered a verdict in the criminal case against Nadezhda Bashkova for insulting a government official under Article 369 of the Criminal Code.

Nadezhda, like nearly two thousand others, left a comment under a post by Olga Karach on “Odnoklassniki.” The post featured a video showing Senior Lieutenant Volnich and his colleagues aggressively detaining a young man on the street.

The court sentenced Nadezhda Bashkova to 2 years of restricted freedom without placement in a correctional facility and ordered her to pay 700 rubles in moral compensation to Volnich.

https://spring96.org/ru/news/106210

On February 1, 2022, the Polotsk District Court and the City of Polotsk reviewed the case of Alexander Ledak under Article 369 – “Insulting a Government Official.”

Between July 9 and 11, 2020, Ledak wrote a comment on “Odnoklassniki” on Olga Karach’s page, under a photo of Andrei Komar with the caption: “This is how I testified in court to ensure that innocent people are sentenced to detention – Senior District Inspector of the Bobruisk City Executive Committee Andrei Komar.” Ledak’s comment was “Judas.”

The court sentenced Alexander Ledak to 2.5 years of restricted freedom without placement in a correctional facility.

https://spring96.org/ru/news/106673

On February 14, 2022, the Primorsky District Court in Vitebsk delivered a verdict in the criminal case against Ruslan Cherkas, who was charged with insulting a government official – the notorious traffic police officer from Gantsevichi, Igor Volnich (Article 369 of the Criminal Code).

Between June 28 and 29, 2020, Cherkas used obscene language to insult Volnich on “Odnoklassniki,” on the publicly accessible page of Olga Karach. The court sentenced Cherkas to 1.5 years of restricted freedom in an open-type correctional facility.

https://spring96.org/ru/news/106779

On February 25, 2022, the court of Lepel and the Lepel District found 59-year-old Mikhail Chumakov guilty of insulting a government official (Article 369 of the Criminal Code) for a comment on “Odnoklassniki” under a post by Olga Karach. Chumakov was sentenced to 2 years of restricted freedom in an open-type correctional facility and ordered to pay 1,500 rubles in moral compensation to Senior Lieutenant Volnich.

Chumakov, who is 59 years old, is married and his wife is disabled and requires daily care. At all his previous places of employment, he was characterized as a positive individual from all perspectives.

https://spring96.org/ru/news/106968

On May 6, 2022, the court of Baranovichi and the Baranovichi District reviewed the case of Svetlana Antipkina, a first-category kindergarten teacher, under Article 369 of the Criminal Code.

On May 30, 2020, following the arrest of Sergey Tikhanovsky, Antipkina commented on a post in the “Odnoklassniki” social network on Olga Karach’s page. The post included a photograph of Senior Lieutenant of the Leninsky ROVD in Grodno, Vladimir Kozlovsky. Additionally, she reacted to the post with a “like,” thus sharing it on her own “Odnoklassniki” page.

The court sentenced Antipkina to 1.5 years of restricted freedom without directing her to a correctional facility.

https://spring96.org/ru/news/107656

On April 13, 2022, the court of the First-Mai District in Vitebsk found Marina Koloskova guilty of insulting a representative of the authorities under Article 369 of the Criminal Code. This was related to a comment she made on “Odnoklassniki” under a post by Olga Karach. The post featured a video of Colonel of Police Vitaly Kuleshov, with a caption stating: “I gave the order to detain and beat peaceful protesters and journalists in Gantsevichi”.

The court sentenced Koloskova to 1 year and 6 months of restricted freedom in a correctional facility and ordered her to pay 1,000 rubles in compensation to Kuleshov.

https://spring96.org/ru/news/107375

On June 1, 2022, the court of the First-Mai District in Vitebsk reviewed the case of Valery Eliseev under Article 369 of the Criminal Code of Belarus.

On June 21, 2020, Eliseev left comments on Olga Karach’s page on “Odnoklassniki” under a photograph of traffic officer Volnich, with the caption: “Let’s help him become famous throughout the country”.

The court sentenced Eliseev to 1 year and 6 months of restricted freedom with a requirement to serve the sentence in an open-type correctional facility.

https://spring96.org/ru/news/108001

On June 27, 2022, the Kobrin District Court began hearing the criminal case against 70-year-old pensioner Antonina Martynenko. She was accused of insulting a public official, specifically Igor Volnich from the Gancevichi traffic police. Volnich is known for having harshly pressed a detainee’s head to the asphalt during a “Solidarity Chain” protest in Gancevichi.

On June 28, 2020, Antonina Martynenko saw a post by Olga Karach on “Odnoklassniki” about Igor Volnich. Under Volnich’s photo, she left a comment using the word “scum.”

On the first day of the court session, procedural violations were revealed: Antonina received the court summons less than 5 days before the trial. This led to the hearing being postponed and eventually the criminal case being dismissed due to the expiration of the statute of limitations, which is two years. However, Judge Alla Bognat ruled to confiscate the pensioner’s phone.

https://news.zerkalo.io/life/18018.html

In November 2021, journalists reported receiving signals from many Belarusian cities, not only regional centers but also district towns such as Mogilev, Brest, and Pruzhany, indicating that individuals who had received assistance from the organization “Our House” were being summoned to the Belarusian Investigative Committee for questioning. The interrogations were aimed at inquiring about the activities of the organization.

https://www.facebook.com/share/Gx8Yw7F1nBS9MaXt/?mibextid=WC7FNe