Political persecution round-up for August 29

August 30, BPN. New politically-motivated arrests and trials were reported across Belarus on August 29.

In Mahiloŭ, police have arrested Dzianis Navalajeŭ and Andrej Vitaleŭ for their participation in the 2020 post-election protests in Minsk, pro-government Telegram channels reported.

Minsk resident Siarhiej Vieras has been arrested after he bought a memoir of a WW2 German soldier, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported. Viasna noted that the book is not blacklisted as extremist.

Andrej Cimafejenka from Viciebsk was released from prison on August 21 after serving the two-year term given for alleged threat of violence against a public official.

Criminal proceedings

The trial of Mikałaj Bredzieleŭ, former head of public relations at A1 telecommunications company accused of financing extremist activities and abusing power, opened at the Minsk City Court. Bredzieleŭ allegedly leaked insider information to a well-known blogger Anton Matolka, who now lives abroad and is on Belarus’ list of persons involved in terrorist activities. The judge has ruled that the trial will be held behind closed doors, Viasna reported.

The Homiel Region Prosecutor’s Office has forwarded to court a criminal case against ten activists of Rabočy Ruch (Labor Movement), charged with treason, creating an extremist group and participating in it.

Mikałaj Hałaŭkoŭ from the Asipovičy district, Minsk region, has been fined 3,400 rubels (about $1,330) and sentenced to three years in prison, Viasna reported. The criminal case is connected with online comments about the deadly shootout between KGB officer Dźmitryj Fiedasiuk and IT professional Andrej Zielcer in 2021.

The Brest regional court has sentenced Sciapan Tałkačoŭ to two and a half years in prison over his comments on the incident, Viasna reported. Human rights groups declared both political prisoners.

Juryj Basałaj, sentenced in May to two and a half years in prison on politically-motivated charges, has been sentenced to another two and a half years for insulting a public official, according to Viasna.

Siarhiej Haničaŭ from Žłobin, Homiel region, has been sentenced to two years in prison for his role in 2020 post-election protests, Viasna reported.

Detention conditions

Uładzimir Suško, currently serving a two-year restricted freedom sentence for his comment about a policeman on TV, has been transferred to an open-type penal colony in Mahiloŭ, a stricter security institution, from an open-type correctional institution, Viasna said.

Alesia Bunievič, accused in the rail terrorism case, has been transferred from a pre-trial detention facility in Mahiloŭ to Prison No. 1 in Hrodna, Viasna said.

As of August 30, human rights defenders identified at least 1,306 people imprisoned on politically-motivated charges in Belarus.