An activist of the JEANS for freedom movement and the European Belarus. One of the defendants in the Case of 14. 

Chronicle of repression

Thousands of people, including civil society activists and businessmen, took to the streets in Minsk on 10 January 2008 to participate in a demonstration against the introduction of a presidential decree concerning restrictive tax and employment regulations for small businesses. The demonstration was organized by entrepreneurs who had applied to the authorities for permission to hold the demonstration. They did not receive a reply to their request and decided to go ahead with the protest. Fourteen individuals were subsequently convicted for “organization and active participation in group actions, seriously violating public order,” among them Tatsiana Tsishkevich who was detained during the demonstration.

Tatsiana was arrested for 20 days. She was charged under the art. 342, part 1 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus (organization and active participation in group actions, seriously violating public order).

In February Tatsiana Tsishkevich was expelled from the Academy of Physical Education. Dean Aliaksandr Shakhlai, vice-principle on educational work Aliaksei Hatatulin and principle Mikhail Kobrynski told her about the dropout. The reason was administrative offence, aimed at violence of public morality and ethics.

On 22 April judge Jelena Ilina  found her guilty of the alleged offense and sentenced to 2 years of freedom restriction.