MINSK. March 21 (Interfax) - Dmitry Semchenko, former journalist from Belarus's ONT television channel and former head of the presidential pool of reporters, pleaded guilty at his trial in Minsk, after the prosecution presented its case.
The Minsk City Court started hearing the criminal case against Semchenko on Tuesday. Semchenko is held in custody, and a defense lawyer is representing his interests. The former journalist has been charged with deliberate actions aimed at inciting ethnic or other social enmity or discord.
"I admit my guilt," the state news agency BelTA quoted Semchenko as saying.
At the same time, Semchenko pointed out that he has always favored a dialogue and has never called for violence. While being questioned, Semchenko said he did not feel hatred toward particular social groups while writing his reports but agreed with an expert's findings that his words might have provoked social enmity and discord.
The indictment mentions three counts of Semchenko's unlawful activities, i.e. three posts on VKontakte (VK) and Instagram, as those aimed at forming negative attitudes in society toward law enforcement agencies, military service members, and government officials in general speaking in favor of preserving Belarus's constitutional system.
The posts were circulated in 2020-2022 and contained "deliberately distorted information aimed at fomenting enmity and discord, the feeling of hatred toward said group of persons, and propaganda of hostile attitudes," the indictment says.
It describes Semchenko's actions as forming "a negative stereotype, and undermining confidence in law enforcement and other government officials, and ultimately, weakening the existing government system."
It said Semchenko understood that the information he circulated would be available to an unlimited number of social media users, that is, he understood the public nature of his statements. His posts gained hundreds of views.
Semchenko was detained in September 2022.