The order of the appeal against the sentence handed down on October 26, 2022 was held in the Supreme Court behind closed doors.

As a result, the court upheld the term of the first instance.

This means that in the near future Satsuka will be transferred to an enhanced mode of serving his sentence, as the Minsk City Court previously decided.

Due to the "secrecy" format, the circumstances of the discussions on the part of the supervisory body and the legal defense are unknown, however, as a result, the judge of the Supreme Court,

Tattsiana Vasilevich

, found no reason to revise the indictment or at least reduce the term of imprisonment.

It is known that the written protest took as many as 85 pages with confirmations of evidence of his own innocence.

Recently, it became known that the journalist complains about the lack of the necessary amount of medicine, he started having heart problems.

In his letters to his release, Satsuk complains that the administration of the pre-trial detention center in Mogilev, where he is awaiting the results of his appeal to the Supreme Court, refuses to give him the cardiac drugs he needs, the Belarusian Association of Journalists reported.

Satsuka's loved ones shared a letter with the BAJ monitoring service: "He became very ill, the temperature rose and the sinusitis worsened."

- I am writing that this time I got it thoroughly.

But only when a sharp cough appeared, the doctor gave an antibiotic and even allowed two days of bed rest — an unprecedented relaxation in itself.

Still having problems with the heart, had an attack of atrial fibrillation.

Medicines that we sent earlier are not returned, although he regularly applies.

Unfortunately, the painful condition is being ignored," relatives said.

In order not to abruptly stop taking pills, Siarhei Satsuk had to significantly reduce the dose so that it would be enough for a longer period of time.

But such a dose does not help.

However, prison controllers and medical personnel deny the problems and do not even give out what the relatives of the imprisoned journalist provide.

Siarhei Satsuk will spend the next few weeks in the Mogilev prison cell, where he was transferred from Minsk pre-trial detention center No. 1 at the end of last year - the hearing of his appeal in the Supreme Court is scheduled for February 10.

If the application is not accepted, the prisoner will be transferred to one of the colonies of enhanced regime to serve the 8-year term of imprisonment awarded to him.

Satsuk on the basis of facts to prove his own innocence.

BAJ learned that he personally drafted the last version of the appeal against the sentence - previously, the journalist had specialized in court topics for a long time, so he knows the nuances no worse than lawyers.

  • Siarhei Satsuk is the former editor-in-chief of the popular Yezhednevnik portal (ej.by), one of the most famous investigators.

    He was detained on December 8, 2021, on the same day access to the ej.by website was blocked by the decision of the Ministry of Information.

    Before the trial, he was detained in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Minsk, human rights defenders recognized the journalist as a political prisoner.

  • On October 26, 2022, the judge of the Minsk City Court, Svetlana Bandarenko, sentenced Syarhei Satsuk to 8 years in a prison under a strict regime and a fine equivalent to 16,000 rubles. 130 of the Criminal Code), "Exceeding authority or official authority" (Article 426 of the Criminal Code).