Political prisoner, member of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union Aliaksandr Gashnikau celebrates his birthday in prison today. Aliaksandr turned 37 years old.
Aliaksandr Paulavich Gashnikau is an employee of the OJSC Belarusian Steel Works in Zhlobin, an activist of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union. He was one of the founders of the BNP primary trade union at the plant, which the authorities refused to register.
On February 17, 2023, Judge Aliaksandr Piskunou found Aliaksandr guilty under part 1, article 356 of the Criminal Code (treason against the state), part 3, article 361-1 of the Criminal Code (creation of an extremist formation and participation in it) and sentenced him to 14 years of imprisonment in a reinforced regime colony. The political prisoner is serving his sentence in Navapolatsk colony No. 1.
On August 11, 2023 the Ministry of Internal Affairs added the political prisoner to the "List of Belarusian citizens, foreign citizens and stateless persons involved in extremist activities".