According to the Telegram channel "Vitebsk, I'm Playing," Sergei Zaitsev was accused of writing two comments about a government official in a Telegram channel deemed "extremist," which the court deemed offensive. It is not known who exactly was offended by the Vitebsk resident's comments.
According to the prosecution, Zaitsev, while in the Russian Federation, posted a text containing a negative assessment of a government official on a Telegram channel deemed "extremist." The defendant also posted a similar insult to another government official in the Vitebsk district.
At the trial, Sergei admitted his guilt but noted that he was unaware that the victims were government officials. Zaitsev reportedly had 11 previous convictions.
As a result, on December 6, 2023, the Vitebsk District Court foundhim guilty and sentenced him to two years and six months' imprisonment and a fine of 50 basic units. By partially combining the sentence imposed under this sentence with the sentence imposed by the Pervomaisky District Court of Vitebsk on June 2, 2023, the final sentence was five years' imprisonment, to be served in a penal colony.
On March 19, 2026, he was pardoned after another visit to Minsk by US President Donald Trump's special representative, John Cole (among a group of 235 prisoners left in Belarus).
Trial outcome 06.12.2023
5 years of imprisonment in colony under general regime conditions, 50 basic values fine.
How to write a letter
✏️ A postcard with words of encouragement (a poem by your favorite author, song lyrics, or a beautiful quote). Trust us, even such simple gestures are very meaningful to a person in jail.
✏️ Your life events. To a person who is in isolation for a long time, any story about your routine endeavors will be a window into normal life. Your day-to-day worries and mundane matters are much more interesting than the daily grind of life behind bars.
✏️ It is important to share news. Mention the most notable and interesting occurrences depending on your pen-pal's interests.
✍️️ Remember that every letter is censored. This means that your letters are read by strangers whose main goal is to limit inmates' access to information or to use it against the prisoners or even you.
So try to avoid:
👉️️ harsh statements regarding ongoing political matters
👉 statements against the authorities and public servants
👉 foul language
👉 discussion of the circumstances of the criminal case
To ensure that none of political prisoners are left without attention and support the site has a function of verified sendings.
Please attach a photo or a screenshot for transfer verification. The new transfer will be posted on the site as soon as it is verified by the moderator!
Support actions
You can upload an image from the support event, and after passing moderation we will publish it.
Respond to help those released
Do you want to help a released political prisoner? Send your contact to Telegram and we will contact you.
A Keeper means you want to regularly help a specific person in prison through their family. Choose a political prisoner and click «Become a Keeper», our team will contact you shortly.
You can request the letters that we have in storage, for this, leave your telegram account for feedback, we will contact you and, after verifying your identity, we will transfer the archive with your letters.
Are you a relative or someone close to a political prisoner? Send us a short description and your Telegram contact for feedback. After data verification we will publish your relative on the website.
Do you have information about administrative prosecution? Please send us a short description and your Telegram contact for feedback. After checking the data, we will publish your information on the site.
Please leave your contact on Telegram and describe your skills in as much detail as possible. After moderation, your CV will be published on the website.
Multi upload allows you to send confirmations with one photo to several political prisoners at once, check the selected people before sending!
Please attach a photo or a screenshot for transfer verification. The new transfer will be posted on the site as soon as it is verified by the moderator!
Write to representatives
Correct translation
Application for assistance in employment or retraining
Please complete the questionnaire to enter the first stage of an interview to determine your individual needs.
