Belarus: Stand-up Comedian Slava Komissarenko Sentenced in Absentia to 6 Years

A Minsk City Court has found stand-up comedian Vyacheslav Komissarenko guilty of insulting and slandering President Alexander Lukashenko, as well as inciting hatred, reports Orda.kz, citing RBK.

Komissarenko was sentenced to six years in prison after being convicted under three criminal code articles: Part 1 of Article 130, "Incitement of Racial, National, Religious, or Other Social Hatred," Part 2 of Article 367, "Slander against The President," and Part 1 of Article 368, "Insulting The President."

The criminal case against the comedian was opened in August.

He had previously made jokes about Lukashenko during his performances, parodying the president and calling him "Chyk-Chyryk," a childish-sounding phrase likely intended to emphasize the comedian's ridicule of Lukashenko.

Komissarenko also claimed the Belarusian KGB was persecuting him, although the agency dismissed his statements as "complete nonsense."

Komissarenko has also frequently referenced the 2020 protest rallies in Belarus in his stand-up shows.

He stated that in 2021, he was banned from performing in his home country and later left for Russia, where he was granted citizenship.

However, he eventually left Russia, citing continued persecution by the Belarusian KGB.

Last year, The Minsk City Court sentenced opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya to 15 years in absentia for attempting to seize power, while former Minister of Culture Pavel Latushko was convicted in absentia to 18 years in prison.

Original Author: Ruslan Loginov