The Minsk prosecutor’s office said on Wednesday that it had referred a criminal case to court against a 43-year-old citizen accused of “extremism-related offences”. The case concerns special proceedings against political analyst Dzmitry Balkunets. The Investigative Committee announced the launch of the proceedings in January this year.
“According to the case materials, among other things, in 2020–2024 the accused created and published at least 28 informational materials of an inciting nature, including on the YouTube channel ‘Dzmitry Balkunets’, in which he called for the seizure of state power and the violent change of the constitutional order of the Republic of Belarus; causing harm to the national security of the Republic of Belarus; and the application of restrictive measures (sanctions) against the Republic of Belarus, its individuals and legal entities”, the statement said.
It also states that in 2022–2023 the accused, together with other individuals, led an “extremist formation” called the “Forum of Democratic Forces of Belarus”.
The final charges include eight articles of the Criminal Code:
- Part 1 of Article 357 (conspiracy or other actions aimed at seizing power),
- Part 3 of Article 361 (calls for sanctions against Belarus);
- Part 1 of Article 361-1 (creation of or participation in an extremist formation);
- Parts 1 and 2 of Article 361-4 (facilitating extremist activity);
- Parts 1 and 2 of Article 367 (defamation of Lukashenka);
- Parts 1 and 2 of Article 368 (insulting Lukashenka);
- Article 369 (insulting a government official);
- Article 369-1 (discrediting Belarus).
It should be recalled that in Belarus, extremism-related charges are used to target political opponents of Lukashenka and dissent more broadly.