Yury Mikhajlavich Paliukhovich
Yuri was first found guilty in July 2021 of a criminal offense under the article "insulting a government official." According to the charges, on January 12, 2021, he left an offensive comment under a photograph of police officer Anton Yanushkevich on the Telegram channel "Punishermen of Belarus." Furthermore, on March 5, 2021, Yuri left another offensive comment under a photograph of OMON commander Dmitry Balaba on the Telegram channel "Belarus of the Brain."
In November 2021, Yuri was convicted again of "insulting a government official" and sentenced to restricted freedom and placement in an open correctional facility. He began serving his sentence in March 2022.
In December 2022, Yuri was placed in pretrial detention on a new criminal case opened under three articles, including "violence or threat of violence against a law enforcement officer." On December 23 of that year, he was found guilty for the third time and finally sentenced to five years of restricted freedom.
He was released on March 20, 2026, as part of a pardon following a visit to Minsk by US President Donald Trump's special representative, John Cole, on March 19 (among a group of 235 prisoners left in Belarus).
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
Involved in repression
