Comedian gets prison time for insulting Belarusian president
A court in Belarus has sentenced a stand-up comedian to six years in prison for insulting President Alexander Lukashenko and inciting hatred.
Slava Komissarenko, who is currently in the Czech Republic and was tried 'in absentia', was convicted of insulting and slandering the Belarusian head of state, and inciting racial, national, religious, or other social hatred or discord, the state-run BelTA news agency reported on Monday.
If he returns to Belarus, the comedian will serve a six-year sentence at a medium-security penal colony. The ruling can be appealed.
Komissarenko turned to political humor after a wave of anti-government protests in Belarus in 2020. The comedian repeatedly commented on the unrest in his stand-up gigs, supporting the opposition when it refused to recognize the results of the election, in which Lukashenko won a sixth term in office.
During his live shows in recent years, Komissarenko repeatedly joked about Lukashenko and impersonated the president, portraying him a hapless and needy person.
Legal proceedings against the performer were launched in August.
“You might be aware that I am wanted by the Belarusian KGB [security agency]. Judging by the fact that you can always find me and they cannot, Lukashenko does not indulge them with mobile internet,” he told the audience during a gig that same month.
Komissarenko made a name for himself on Russian TV and previously moved to Moscow. In 2021, after his performances were banned in Belarus, he obtained a Russian passport.
However, he left Russia in early 2022, citing persecution by the Belarusian security services. At the time, the KGB described the comedian’s claims as “complete nonsense.”
Since then, the 39-year-old has resided in Ukraine, Türkiye, Poland, and the Czech Republic. He has also been increasingly critical of Russia since the escalation of the conflict with Ukraine in February 2022.
