Aleh Syčoŭ is a printer who has worked with the Zmicier Kolas publishing house in operation since 1998. He specializes in publishing Belarusian translations of texts written by European authors.
On 3 March 2023, Aleh Syčoŭ was detained together with his wife, Nastassia Pilko, who worked as the director of the Electronic Agent JSC printing house. The couple was placed in the KGB pre-trial detention centre.
Aleh Syčoŭ was accused in a criminal case under Article 289 of the Criminal Code (an act of terrorism) for the alleged “attempt to commit an act of terrorism” in Mačuliščy.
On 4 March, Mykola Shvets was detained in Aleh Syčoŭ’s house near Minsk. He was accused of having damaged an A-50 Russian surveillance aircraft used to direct Russian missiles at the targets in Ukraine. On 28 June, Mikalai Shvets was released from prison in Belarus following a prisoner exchange deal between the Russian and Ukrainian authorities.
On 7 December 2023, human rights defenders recognized Aleh Syčoŭ as a political prisoner.
On 19 August, the Minsk City Court opened a trial behind closed doors in the Mačuliščy sabotage case. The defendants were charged under 11 articles of the Criminal Code: Part 1, Article 361.4 (facilitating extremist activities), Part 1, Article 290.1 (financing terrorist activities), Part 1, Article 356 (state treason), Part 1 of Article 342 (participating in actions that grossly violate public order), Part 1, Article 358 (intelligence gathering activity), Part 4 of Article 309 (damage of a vehicle), Part 3, Article 289 (act of terrorism), Part 3 of Article 361.1 (creating or participating in an extremist formation), Article 361.2 (financing an extremist formation), Part 4 of Article 295 (illegal actions with explosives), Article 290.3 (training to engage in terrorist activity).
On 3 October 2024, the Minsk City Court sentenced Aleh Syčoŭ to nine years in a minimum-security penal colony.
Postal address: Aleh Iharavič Syčoŭ, KGB pre-trial detention centre, General Post Office, Post Box No. 8, 220050, Minsk, Belarus.