Slava Komissarenko was sentenced in absentia to six years in prison.

He was found guilty on three counts, according to the state agency BELTA. These include defamation of the president, insult to the president, and incitement of hatred.

The Belarusian Investigative Committee reported the initiation of a criminal case against the comedian in August of this year.

Slava Komissarenko is a well-known Belarusian stand-up comedian. Following the presidential elections in 2020, he repeatedly spoke out about the falsification of election results and condemned the violence perpetrated by security forces against the opposition and protest participants.

Komissarenko is also recognized for his satirical monologues about Alexander Lukashenko, particularly referring to the Belarusian authoritarian leader by the nickname "Chyk-chyryk."

In early 2021, Komissarenko was banned from performing in Belarus, after which he moved to Russia.

In January 2022, Komissarenko announced that he had left Russia, fearing arrest by the KGB of Belarus, which had placed him on the wanted list.