A Russian citizen. According to the prosecution , Alexander was intoxicated when, on the night of June 19, 2023, he allegedly first tore down a flag attached to the wall of a store. He then removed another flag from a building in Minsk near a metro station and handed it to a metro employee. He then allegedly removed a flag from the façade of a Belpochta branch building and left it at the entrance. Finally, he allegedly tore down another flag, threw it at a public transport stop, and set it on fire. That same night, Alexander allegedly set fire to a plastic waste container. Alexander Smirnov pleaded not guilty during his trial. He said he tore down the flags while intoxicated because he wanted to keep a memento of his time in Belarus and hang them in his home. He had no intention of desecrating state symbols. He accidentally set fire to one of the flags, and was not even present at the scene of one of the incidents. Alexander noted that he gave preliminary testimony regarding this episode under physical and emotional pressure from police officers .
Alexander is known to have a criminal record: in April 2023, he was convicted under Part 1 of Article 205 (theft) and Part 1 of Article 339 (hooliganism) and sentenced to three months in jail. He was released after serving his sentence.
Trial outcome 08.09.2023
3 years of imprisonment in colony under general regime conditions.
Appeal 14.11.2023
unknown.
After the sentence comes into effect, it is only possible to write letters to a prisoner. According to article 85 of the Penal Enforcement Code, prisoners cannot receive money transfers from persons who are not family members. Parcels are also only possible from relatives. If you want to help, help families directly, if this option is available on the prisoner's card.
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
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Support actions
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Correct translation
Application for assistance in employment or retraining
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