On Monday morning, May 23, 2022, the KGB detained attorney Vitaly Braginets, who was actively involved in politically motivated cases, including the defense in the criminal case of lawyer Andrei Mochalov, Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski (whose trial began on January 5). On May 25, 2022, an administrative case was considered in the Partizansky district court of Minsk (judge N. Dedkova), the course of which can be read in Russian here. Braginets was supposed to serve his sentence and get out in the morning on June 7, but he was brought to administrative responsibility again with the appointment of administrative arrest.
As it became known later, a criminal case was initiated against him, in July 2022 Vitaly was declared a political prisoner.
Now it has become known that he is charged under four articles of the Criminal Code:
- Part 3 of Article 130 (incitement of enmity or discord),
- Part 3 of Article 361 (calls for restrictive measures (sanctions),
- Part 1 of Article 361-1 (creation of an extremist formation or participation in it)
- Part 1 of Article 342 (active participation in actions, grossly violating public order).
The case will be considered in the Minsk court on January 16. The trial will be held by Judge Alyona Ananich.
