Belarus journalist Aleh Supruniuk jailed three years for 'extremism'

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published 3 months ago |  JP Staff Report

Belarusian journalist Aleh Supruniuk has been sentenced to three years in a general-regime penal colony, the Belarusian Association of Journalists reported. The 57-year-old Brest-based reporter was convicted under Part 3 of Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code for “participating in an extremist group.”

According to  https://spring96.org, Supruniuk, who turns 58 in September and suffers from a disability, had been held in pre-trial detention for more than six months before his sentencing on August 8. Rights groups warn that his health could deteriorate further while behind bars.

On June 4, 2025, prosecutors in the Brest region confirmed that a criminal case had been filed under Article 361-1, without naming the accused. Authorities claimed that by October 2023, the man had joined the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), which the KGB labeled an “extremist group” in February 2023. Prosecutors alleged that as a member, he authored at least 43 online articles — a case widely believed to involve Supruniuk.

The journalist disappeared on January 22, 2025, after suddenly dropping out of contact. It was later revealed that he had been detained. For nearly five months, no information about his whereabouts or condition was made public.

Supruniuk had previously faced administrative prosecution. On December 12, 2024, security forces raided his home, confiscated his computer and phone, and interrogated him. He was accused of distributing “extremist materials” under Part 2 of Article 19.11 of the Administrative Code. He was jailed for 15 days and released on December 27.

Well-known across the Brest region, Supruniuk worked for Brestskiy Kurier, the online publication Pershy Rehiyon, and contributed to other independent outlets, reporting on socially significant issues.