Belarusian stand-up comedian sentenced in absentia to 6 years in prison for "insulting" Lukashenko

Stand-up comedian Slava Komissarenko, 39, has been sentenced in absentia to 6 years in prison in Belarus.

Source: Viasna Human Rights Centre; Radio Liberty Belarus Service

Details: The Minsk City Court heard the comedian’s case in absentia.

Komissarenko was charged with "defamation of the president" (Article 367.2), "insulting the president" (Article 368.1) and "incitement to hatred" (Article 130.1) under the Criminal Code of Belarus.

A well-known stand-up comedian and native of Belarus, Komissarenko regularly performed across various cities in the country.

He has frequently spoken out about the falsification of the 2020 presidential election results in Belarus and condemned violence by security forces.

After the election, Komissarenko often joked about Alexander Lukashenko, the self-proclaimed President of Belarus, in his routines.

Komissarenko is considered the main populariser of the Chik Chirik meme about Lukashenko. [Chik Chirik is an ironic nickname for Lukashenko. The phrase itself is an imitation of the sound of a bird chirping with a Belarusian accent – ed.]

In early 2021, the artist was banned from performing in Minsk and his touring permit was cancelled.

In January 2022, Komissarenko revealed that the Belarusian State Security Committee (Belarus’ KGB) had placed him on the wanted list. He added that the Belarusian security forces had "called and written to him," but by that time, he had already left Belarus.

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