Minsk court may announce 1863x.com extremist, founder stands trial

Minsk Central District Court may announce the materials published at 1863x.com extremist. The trial will start at 2 p.m. on August 25, BelaPAN reports. The hearing will be open, human rights defenders said earlier. Assumed founder and administrator of the website Eduard Palchys (John Silver) will not be brought to court. His lawyer will represent his interests in court. Palchys is in Minsk detention centre #1. He is expecting another trial there.

Palchys is accused of ‘arousing national or religious hostility’ (part 1 of article 130 of the Criminal Code) and ‘distribution of pornography’ (part 2 of article 343). Minsk City Court will consider his case. Palchys is facing imprisonment for up to six months or restriction of liberty for up to five years for ‘arousing hostility’ and imprisonment for 2-4 years for ‘the distribution of pornography’.

Lida inhabitant Eduard Palchys, 25, left Belarus for Ukraine despite being released on recognizance. His publications on the website 1863x.com were being investigated at that time. He did not manage to settle down in Ukraine and was detained at Ukraine-Russia border in January 2016. The Belarusian spent a few months in Russian prison before his extradition to Belarus.