The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus continues adding activists and leaders of the democratic trade union movement to lists of extremists and terrorists. Today, the "list of citizens of Belarus, foreign citizens or stateless persons who are involved in extremist activities" was updated to include 45 more people, including Andrei Khanevich, chairman of the primary organisation of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union of Grodno Azot JSC.
There are now 2,487 people on the list, including the leader of the primary organization of the BNP at Belaruskali and vice-chairman of the BPP Aliaksandr Mishuk, chair of the primary organization of the SPM at MAZ Artsiom Zharnak and deputy chair of the SPM Yanina Malash. All the convicted activists of the Free Trade Union of Metalworkers: Mikhail Hromau, Vitali Chychmarou and Miraslau Sabchuk are also included. Andrei Khanevich was also put on the list of extremists.
Andrei was convicted for talking to a Belsat journalist, during which he was accused of "passing on some information". The BNP primary organisation was also liquidated after it was found to be "extremist" in the spring of 2022, at a time when Andrei was serving an administrative arrest. The reason for the liquidation of the union was the dissemination of information deemed extremist in Belarus in a media Telegram chat room.
After his dismissal from the enterprise, a criminal case was opened against Andrei. On 16 November Hrodna Regional Court found him guilty under Article 369-1 (discrediting the Republic of Belarus) and Article 361-4 (assisting extremist activity) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus.
Judge of Hrodna Regional Court Vitali Kulesh found Andrei Khanevich guilty and sentenced him to five years of imprisonment in a strict regime colony. The 47-year-old Andrei Khanevich worked as an apparatus worker in the shop "Carbomide-3" at Grodno Azot. Andrei has three children.