Rights groups identify 12 new political prisoners

June 30, Pozirk. Belarusian human rights defenders have declared 12 more individuals as political prisoners, taking their total to 857, according to a statement posted on the Viasna Human Rights Center’s website.

The recent additions include several people currently held in custody: Lidzija Atamaniuk, Viktar Nikifaraŭ, Mikałaj Łanievič, Andrej Łatyševič, Varvara Łatyševič, Mikałaj Paškoŭ and Ihar Sutyrka. Charges against them remain unknown except for Sutyrka who is accused of high treason.

Dźmityj Viałaŭ is serving four years in prison on charges of inciting hatred, slandering Alaksandar Łukašenka and facilitating extremist activities. Andrej Siarhiejeŭ and Aleh Stefanovič are imprisoned on extremism-related charges. Taćciana Korsakava and her husband, Dźmityj Korsakaŭ, were given 12 and 14 years in prison, respectively on high treason and other charges.

Arbitrary charges of particularly serious crimes against the state continue to be used to suppress rights and freedoms, Viasna’s statement said. The authorities exploit the vague wording of the high treason Criminal Code article and are “reverting legal practices to the darkest days of the Stalinist dictatorship,” it noted.

Viasna, Pravavaja Inicyjatyva, Lawtrend, the Belarusian Association of Journalists, Belarusian Helsinki Committee, Belarusian PEN and Barys Zvozskaŭ Human Rights House signed the declaration, demanding the immediate release of all political prisoners and the end of reprisals.

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Politics, Society

Belarus ranked “very high risk” country for torture

June 30, Pozirk. The World Organization Against Torture (OMCT)’s new annual report labels Belarus as a country whose residents face a “very high risk” of torture. Torture and ill-treatment in Belarus “remain widespread, systematic and state-sanctioned,” says the Belarus country …

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