Historian given four years in prison over Euroradio interview

September 13, Pozirk. Judge Michaił Makarevič has sentenced prominent historian Ihar Mielnikaŭ to four years in prison over an interview he had given to Euroradio in Poland a few months before Belarus designated the media outlet an extremist group.
The defendant, accused of facilitating extremism, pleaded guilty, the Minsk Prosecutor’s Office reported.
The historian was arrested earlier this year over his January 2022 interview about his research and exhibition in Warsaw.
Belarusian prosecutors charged that it helped promote “extremist activities” among larger audiences despite the fact that the interior ministry blacklisted Euroradio as an extremist group only in July 2022.
Mielnikaŭ, 44, specializes in the modern military history of Belarus. He earned his doctoral degree from Belarusian State University in 2011.
A few weeks ago, Belarusian authorities branded three of his books extremist content.
Rights groups consider his persecution to be politically motivated.
Japanese man denounces Belarusian secret services’ “lies”
- Politics, SecurityLithuania preparing bridges for possible demolition in event of attackThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityMinsk backs China as it amid massive drills around TaiwanThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Society
- EconomySocial Security Fund’s surplus revised upwardThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyBelarus to spend over $500 million on environmental improvements over next five yearsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- PoliticsOpposition leader: hundreds still held behind bars for political reasonsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- Economy, PoliticsNausėda: Washington has not raised Belarusian potash transit issueThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsReprisals: teenagers given lengthy prison terms for alleged links with UkraineThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyPoland intercepts 185 cigarette-smuggling balloons from Belarus in 2025The material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- Politics, Society
- Economy, Politics, SocietyŁukašenka signs national budget into lawThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsInterior ministry adds 11 names to its list of extremistsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Elections, PoliticsMyanmar activists criticize presence of “fake” observers from Belarus at its “sham” electionThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyVisits by citizens of neighboring EU countries to Belarus plunge by half in two yearsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsForeign minister signs sustainable development program with UNThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy, SocietyJob offers for foreign workers up 3.1 percent in three weeksThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SocietyPoland cracks down on group violating sanctions on Belarusian, Russian plywoodThe material is available only to POZIRK+



