On November 26, police detained former political prisoner Zmitser Paliyenka, who had stopped attending lectures assigned to him after his release from the Babruisk colony.
After a conversation with a police officer, Paliyenka was taken to the City Police Department No. 2, where he had two protocols drawn on him.
A friend of the activist Maryna Nasenka had assumed that Palienka would be delayed for the night, but after a few hours he was released.
Paliyenka will be tried under article 23.4 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (“Failure to comply with the legal requirement of an official”). He faces an administrative arrest or a fine of up to 1,225 BYN.
In October 2016, Paliyenka was given a suspended sentence of 2 years for allegedly attacking a policeman during the bicycle campaign “Critical Mass”, which took place in Minsk. In addition, the activist was charged with committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 343 of the Criminal Code (production and distribution of pornographic materials or items of a pornographic nature).
Last year, Paliyenka was arrested again: on April 7, 2017, the court overturned the deferment and sent the activist to serve the remainder of his term in a prison in Babruisk. There he was regularly placed in a punishment cell, the administration also pressured the activist psychologically.
The international human rights organization Amnesty International recognized Paliyenka a prisoner of conscience.
