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POZIRK+Opposition diplomat says reprisals continue, calls for comprehensive approach
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Exiled Biełaruski Hajun founder given 20 years in prison
Anton Matolka
June 3, Pozirk. A judge in Hrodna has sentenced Anton Matolka, founder of the now defunct defense monitoring project Biełaruski Hajun, to 20 years in prison on extremism-related charges without him being present at the trial, the Prosecutor General’s Office reported.
He was also ordered to pay a fine of 84,000 rubels (some $28,000).
Prosecutors accused Matolka of plotting to seize state power by unconstitutional means since late 2020 for running several opposition Telegram channels. Charges against him also included high treason, violent disorder, inciting hatred, calling for sanctions, discrediting the state and publicly insulting Alaksandar Łukašenka among others.
Established in early 2022, Biełaruski Hajun documented military activities of Russian troops in Belarus and helped the Ukrainians assess threats after Russia launched a full-scale war on their country in February 2022. It was forced to shut down earlier this year following a massive data breach.
People who shared information with the group faced politically-motivated persecution in Belarus and many had to flee abroad fearing reprisals.
BySol reports soaring evacuation requests after opposition chat data breach
February 9, Pozirk. The BySol Solidarity Fund has received 150 requests from people seeking to flee Belarus in the four days since the data breach that affected the Biełaruski Hajun Telegram chatbot, BySol’s Andrej Stryžak said on Facebook. The chat …
