Viru county court did not satisfy the petition for parole of human rights defender Siarhei Seredenka, sentenced to five and a half years in prison for activities against the state.
The petition for parole was supported by the prison, but the prosecutor's office opposed it. In case of release, Seredenko would have to be under electronic surveillance.
Sergei Seredenko has been serving his sentence since March 3, 2021, when he was detained as a suspect. According to the investigation, from 2009 until his arrest, Seredenko maintained relations with seven individuals who acted for and on behalf of Russian state bodies. These persons were linked to activities directed against the Republic of Estonia.
On September 22, 2022, the Harju County Court sentenced Seredenko to five years and six months' imprisonment. On December 19 of the same year, the Tallinn District Court upheld the sentence. On January 17, 2023, a cassation appeal was filed against the decision of the District Court. In March of the same year it was accepted for consideration, and on May 17 the State Court examined it in written proceedings. In June, the court issued a final judgment upholding Seredenko's conviction and sentence.