A political prisoner celebrates his birthday behind bars.

Ihar Alinevich turns 30 today. He is in correctional colony No. 10 in Navapolatsk.

On May 27, 2011, the Zavadski district court found Ihar Alinevich guilty of hooliganism (part 2 of article 339) and intentional destroying or damaging property (parts 2 and 3 of article 218). He was sentenced to 8 years in a medium security correctional colony.

The court trial against Belarusian anarchists began on May 18, 2011. They were charged with carrying out attacks on buildings and arsons attacks, holding an unsanctioned anti-military procession near the Ministry of Defence in 2009, throwing Molotov cocktails at the Russian embassy in Minsk and the detention centre in Akrestsin Street in 2010. They were also charged with attacking other buildings – throwing flares at Shangri La casino and the Belarusian Federation of Trade Union in Minsk, attempts to set on fire offices of Belarusbank and Bank Moscow-Minsk and a police station in Salihorsk.

In early 2013, Ihar Allinevich’s book “Going to Magadan” was published on the basis of his diary he kept in the KGB jail.

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