The Supreme Court of Belarus today reviewed the appeal against the verdict of the Minsk City Court in the case of imprisoned journalist Ihar Ilyash. The panel of the Supreme Court, chaired by Judge Ihar Liubavitski, rejected the appeal and upheld the lower court’s decision, the Belarusian Association of Journalists reported.
In September, Ilyash was sentenced to four years in a high-security penal colony. He was also fined 100 base units. In his final statement, Ilyash denied all charges and did not plead guilty.
Ilyash is the husband of Belsat journalist Katsiaryna Andreyeva, who has been sentenced to 8 years and 3 months in prison on charges of treason.
Ilyash was detained in October 2024. He was charged under articles on “discrediting Belarus” (Art. 369-1) and “assisting extremist activities” (Part 2 of Art. 361-4).