Eduard Palchys on the list of released political prisoners
Blogger Eduard Palchys had been behind bars since September 2020. The court, which took place at the end of 2021, sentenced him to 13 years in a penal colony. While Eduard was imprisoned, his daughter was born.
Eduard Palchys
Political blogger and activist Eduard Palchys was detained on September 27, 2020, and sentenced to 30 days of administrative arrest. However, he was not released after serving his days. The blogger was transferred to a pre-trial detention center, charged with "organization of mass riots" under Part 1 of Art. 293 of the Criminal Code.
Later, three more criminal articles were added: Art. 130 (incitement to hatred), Art. 342 (organization of actions that grossly violate public order), Art. 361 (calls for actions aimed at harming the national security of the Republic of Belarus).
The Investigative Committee stated that Palchys's main weapon was the internet resources he created and managed, including a Telegram channel and social media pages, which "captured a large part of the country's audience, their trust, and were used to control the consciousness of the crowd, inducing them to planned criminal actions."
The trial, which took place in December 2021 in a closed session, sentenced the blogger to 13 years in a penal colony. Raman Pratasevich was a witness in Palchys's case.
In addition, by the claim of the Minsk city prosecutor's office, the court ordered Eduard Palchys to pay over 575 thousand rubles in damages caused to state enterprises.
In August 2022, the blogger's punishment was toughened, and he was sent from the penal colony to Mogilev prison No. 4 for three years. After serving that term, he was sent back to the penal colony.
His wife and daughter Emilia, who was born after her father went behind bars, were waiting for him to be released.
Eduard Palchys was born in Lida on October 28, 1990. At school, he became a laureate of the special fund of the President of Belarus for social support of gifted children. After graduating from school, he entered the history faculty of BSU. Just before his diploma, he decided to drop out to avoid working off the compulsory assignment.
In 2014, he worked as a social media marketer in a Minsk company and also tutored history.
Eduard gained fame as the founder of the website 1863x.com, which he himself called "an answer to those Russian propagandists who began to informationally attack Belarus in 2014." Initially, he ran it anonymously, signing with the nickname "John Silver."
On May 5, 2015, Palchys was detained by KGB officers and charged under Part 1 of Article 130 of the Criminal Code of Belarus (incitement to racial, national, or religious hatred or discord).
After interrogation and a two-day stay in the temporary detention facility in Minsk, the blogger was sent for a forensic psychiatric examination to the Republican Scientific and Practical Center for Mental Health in Novinki, after which he was released on his own recognizance not to leave. Some time later, the blogger was charged with another accusation under Part 2 of Article 343 of the Criminal Code of Belarus (distribution of pornographic materials).
In autumn, Palchys left for Ukraine but then decided to return to Belarus. In early 2016, he was detained while crossing the Ukrainian-Russian border. Only in May was Palchys extradited to Belarus. In October 2016, the blogger was sentenced to 1 year and 9 months of "chemistry" (restricted freedom) and released in the courtroom.
Eduard Palchys after his release in 2016
In 2019, Palchys focused on the PALCHYS Telegram channel.
After his release, Palchys continued to work on the website, making it his main occupation. He asked people for money to continue his work, and they transferred it. It amounted to about 500 dollars a month. He said that you couldn't buy an apartment or a car for that money, but you could live.
In 2018, the blogger became one of the organizers of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the BNR (Belarusian National Republic).
In 2020, after Palchys was sentenced to 15 days on June 15 for participating in a supposedly illegal action by Tsikhanouski in Kamarouka, he began to hide from the authorities. In late September, the blogger decided to leave the country, but on September 27, he did not show up at the agreed time for the driver who was supposed to take him to the border. A few days later, his relatives found him at Akrestsina.
Palchys, by his example, showed that Belarusian nationalism can be popular. The blogger encouraged thousands of people to learn the history of Belarus, to re-evaluate our heritage and present.
Photo: Novy Chas