Святослав Подвашецкий. Источник фото: spring96.org
The Minsk City Court sentenced 27-year-old Sviataslau Padvashetski to 13 years in prison under a high-security regime. He was found guilty under Part 1 of Article 328 of the Criminal Code (illegal drug trafficking) and Part 1 of Article 356 (treason against the state). According to the Viasna Human Rights Center reported, the verdict was announced on Sept. 1, 2026.
The court also fined Padvashetski 500 basic units. He was sentenced to two years for illegal drug trafficking and 12 years for “treason against the state.”
The trial was held behind closed doors, so details are not known. Padvashetski is currently being held at Detention Center No. 1 in Minsk.
Sviataslau Padvashetski was born on Sept. 15, 1998. He graduated from a flight school in Ukraine, after which he returned to Belarus and completed an internship at Belavia. His father was also a pilot.
According to Viasna, Padvashetski remained in contact with former classmates, some of whom joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine after the start of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. Shortly before his detention, he sent one of his acquaintances a photo of the aircraft on which he was doing his internship, along with a message saying that he would fly it.
Padvashetski was detained on June 10, 2025.
The verdict is being appealed and has not yet entered into force.