Leader of independent trade union released after 30 days in jail

June 17, BPN. Maksim Pazniakoŭ, chair of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union (BITU) and acting chair of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions (BCDTU), has been released after 30 days in jail, BCDTU reported.

Pazniakoŭ served two 15-day terms in jail on charges under Administrative Offences Code. He was arrested on May 17 in Navapołack, Viciebsk region, for displaying a Ukrainian flag and a “For Independence” sign on his Facebook profile picture.

The state prosecutor warned Pazniakoŭ that another administrative offence would lead to a criminal case against him.

A wave of arrests of independent trade union activists swept across Belarus on April 19.

On May 13, Volha Brycikava, head of the BITU cell at the Naftan oil refinery in Navapołack, was released after 75 days in jail, while her trade union cell was banned.

On June 10, Prosecutor General Andrej Šved filed a suit with the Supreme Court to shut down all independent trade unions in Belarus. Belarusian authorities said that trade unions have been involved in politics since 2020, while their leaders and members participated in “destructive activities and unsanctioned mass events, and distributed extremist content.”