Aliaksei Lauski
Belarusian dissident who died in L.A. County from a fentanyl overdose. He was found dead inside a vehicle on August 11, 2023.
Алексей Олегович Лавский / Alexey Olegovich Lavsky
Aliaksei Lauski had been convicted of participating in two political marches — on August 23 and August 30, 2020 — in Minsk, a city he was a resident of. Those were the so-called “New Belarus March “and the” Peace and Independence March.”
The formal accusation was about participating in actions that violate public order under Part 1 of Article 342 of the Criminal Code. The evidence in the case was photos and videos from Lavsky’s phones and laptop.
Aleksey was kept in custody for two and a half months, and after the announcement of the verdict, he was released until he was sent to Khimiya (“chemistry”), which is akin to living restrictedly within a certain place without actually being in a regular prison.
The case was considered by judge Anastasia Achalova, the state prosecution was supported by V. Zagorovskaya.
According to the prosecution’s version of the events, Alexey Lavsky on August 23, 2020, “in pursuance of public calls for active participation in group actions that pursue the true goal of a pre-planned commission of actions that grossly violate public order, involving obvious disobedience to the legal requirements of government officials, entailing disruption of transport operations, in compliance with posted on the global Internet on various Internet sites- resources, being reliably informed from various sources about the planned holding on the territory of Minsk 23.08.2020 mass events, that is, knowingly in violation of the requirements of the Law “On Mass Events”, on August 23, 2020, not earlier than 13: 52, he arrived at 79 Nezavisimosti Avenue in Minsk with unidentified persons and proceeded in a column along Nezavisimosti Avenue to 1 Sverdlov Street in Minsk, after which he followed the avenue. Nezavisimosti before the intersection of pr. Pobediteley and ul. Melnikaite, where in order to publicly express his socio-political views and protest by illegal means, conduct destructive activities, took an active part in group actions that grossly violate public order and involve obvious disobedience to the legal requirements of government representatives – employees of the Department of Internal Affairs, and caused disruption of transport and enterprises, joined a group of citizens who participated in the these illegal actions.”
In addition, Lavsky was charged for similar actions on August 30, 2020. At that time, a Peace and independence March was held in Minsk and other cities of Belarus.
According to the charges, Alexey and other unidentified persons obstructed the movement of 19 buses and 5 trolleybuses on August 23 from 14: 35 to 20: 00, and also “restricted the rights of respectable citizens to quiet work, rest and free movement.”
On August 30, from 14: 39 to 19: 41, Lavsky and a group of unidentified persons suspended the movement of 21 buses and two trolleybuses.
At the trial, Lavsky partially admitted his guilt. He said that in June 2020, he was illegally involved under Part 1 of Article 23.34 and Article 23.4 of the Administrative Code. According to Viasna, Lavsky was detained on June 19, 2020 for participating in the “Solidarity Chain” on the last day of collecting signatures for the nomination of presidential candidates. Alexey was fined 40 basic units under two articles of the Administrative Code.
As Lavsky said at the criminal trial, in this regard, he harbored resentment against the current authorities, which prompted him to participate in the Marches on August 23 and 30. At the trial, Lavsky confirmed that he went out on the roadway and moved along it, but at the same time believes that he did not take a direct part in blocking the roadway, since it was already occupied by other people.
At the trial, the deputy prosecutor of Minsk filed a claim in the interests of Minsktrans in the amount of 13,419 rubles 87 kopecks. Lavsky did not agree with the claim.
Alexey was detained on October 14, 2021, and placed in custody until trial. After the arrest, the Minsk resident was searched and his laptop and phone were seized, where he kept photos and videos from the Marches, which he either took himself or asked to take a picture of.
On Lavsky’s phone and laptop, security forces found photos with protest symbols from August 14 to September 23, 2020, and photos and videos of the accused Marching on August 23 and 30, 2020, were found on an old phone. In addition, some photos Alexey published on his side in Instagram, which also served as proof of his guilt at the trial. During the March on August 23, Alexey had a BCHB flag with him and he was wearing a “Pahonia” T-shirt.
As a result, on December 30, 2021, judge Anastasia Achalova found Alexey Lavsky guilty under Article 342 of the Criminal Code and sentenced him to three years of “chemistry.” The Minsk resident was released in the courtroom after two and a half months in custody.