Denis Boltut was born on July 1, 1990. As a child he loved playing hockey and going to the rink, as well as playing soccer.

Denis is very responsive, when his friends needed help, they could always count on him. Be it small things or problems and fights with neo-Nazis. Denis is also very cheerful and funny, he cannot tolerate boredom and silence and he always tries to dispel them. Also Denis is very stubborn and principled. And it is precisely this adherence to principle that is helping him a lot in his detention.

Before his arrest, Denis worked at a furniture factory, was a fan of the soccer club “MTZ” and was very fond of reading. Lately he has been especially fond of various Belarussian classics.

Even after his arrest, Denis continues to actively pursue self-development, in his free time he constantly reads and practices boxing

Political views

Denis was a fan of the MTZ club, which in football circles is associated with the position of anti-fascism. He shares anti-fascist views.

The story of the detention and the case

On 23 September a criminal case was brought against Denis on suspicion of organizing mass riots. He was detained on 25 September in Minsk.
Initially Denis was charged under Article 342 part 1 (organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them), but on February 8, he was added two more articles – 293 part 1 (organization of mass riots) and 364 (violence or threat of violence against a police officer).

The case materials contained personal correspondence of Denis, as well as records of his phone calls, i.e. his phone was tapped several months before his arrest.

At the trial, Denis pleaded not guilty to any of the charges. He described all the recordings as bravado, which has nothing to do with reality.

Verdict

Judge Svetlana Bondarenko pronounced a sentence of 6 years.

Conditions of detention

During the trial, Denis, as well as the other participants of the anti-fascist case, were put on preventive detention = in connection with the charge of violence against a police officer. Therefore, they were escorted and left in court handcuffed, with their hands behind their backs.
The defense requested that the hands be handcuffed at least in front, because the guys could not even drink. But despite the unbearable heat, the judge and the guards ignored the request.

Upon arrival to the colony, Denis was deprived of his parcels for half a year. Also, the administration of the colony prohibits long visits for all political prisoners in the colony, so since his arrival Denis has never been able to spend time with his family without a glass partition. Denis is periodically sent to the punishment cell for 5-10 days. The reasons are always trivial – he sat on the bed, looked at the guard the wrong way, etc.

Relatives

Denis’s sister, parents are waiting for him at home.

"Justice and fairness must prevail, I'm in a fighting mood. We will fight to the end!" - These lines were written before the last court session, where the sentence of six years was pronounced. 

Even now, after all the sentences, punishment cells, and other deprivations, Denis does not change himself and continues to stick to his principles.

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