December 17, Pozirk. Police in Belarus have arrested Pavieł Stankievič, leader of the Mahiloŭ-based historical reenactment club Barysfen, Mayday.Team reported. He is held in the city’s detention center.
Earlier today, Belarus’ interior ministry branded Barysfen an extremist group, weeks after Stankievič spent 30 days in jail for an alleged minor offense.
The interior ministry identified Stankievič, Pavieł Lišankoŭ and Dźmitryj Dolačko as individuals associated with the knighthood club.
The charge of creating an extremist group carries a prison sentence of three to seven years under Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code. Association with an extremist group is punishable by prison sentence of two to six years under Article 361-4.
In November, the information ministry designated Barysfen’s social media as extremist content. Both designations are usually used by authorities to silence and imprison dissidents.
The interior ministry’s list of extremist groups contains 323 entries.
Established in 1998, Barysfen engages in studies of Belarus’ medieval history, culture and lifestyles and reenactments involving knight armor, according to the city government’s website.
