Round-up of political persecution for August 30

August 31, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution in Belarus were reported on August 30.

Criminal persecution

A 32-year-old resident of the Homiel district has been charged with high treason for sharing information on military facilities with Telegram channels deemed extremist and may face up to 15 years in prison if convicted, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported. This is the first time since the start of the Russian war on Ukraine that high treason charge is used against sources of information about movements of Russian and Belarusian forces.

Trials

Prosecutor Michaił Kavaloŭ has demanded 12 years in prison for Belarusian-born US lawyer Juryj Ziankovič, political scientist Alaksandr Fiaduta, and Belarusian Popular Front (BPF) chair Ryhor Kastusioŭ, accused of conspiracy to seize state power in an unconstitutional way.

Yezhednevnik editor in chief Siarhiej Sacuk will go on trial at the Minsk City Court on September 23 on charges of inciting hatred and abusing his power.

The Minsk City Court has sentenced Alaksandr Komar and Andrej Andrejeu to three and two years in prison, respectively. On February 27, three days after the start of Russia’s war on Ukraine, they participated in an anti-war rally in Minsk. Human rights groups declared both political prisoners.

Student Andrej Masłaŭ, who had been arrested near the Belarusian-Ukrainian border, has been sentenced in Brest to two and a half years in prison for an alleged intentions to participate in an armed conflict in a foreign country on the Ukrainian side, the Brest branch of Viasna reported.

The trial of BelaPAN journalists may resume after September 5. The Minsk Regional Court started hearing the case against BelaPAN at a closed-door session on June 6 and adjourned it on June 29. The defendants are BelaPAN’s editor in chief Iryna Leŭšyna, former CEO Dźmitryj Navažyłaŭ, and media manager Andrej Alaksandraŭ, who was the media company’s deputy director from 2014 to 2018. Alaksandraŭ’s girlfriend Iryna Złobina is also on trial.

All defendants are charged with creating an extremist group (BelaPAN). Human rights groups declared them political prisoners.

Mikita Slepianok, administrator of Rezystans, a Telegram channel dedicated to culture and history, will go on trial in Homiel on September 1, the Homiel Viasna reported. He is accused of creating an “extremist” group and of allegedly “posting Nazi symbols and extremist materials discrediting the authorities for over six months.”

The Supreme Court rejected an appeal by Ivan Čeraviaka, sentenced on politically-motivated charges to four years in prison for allegedly insulting Alaksandr Łukašenka and inciting hatred.

Detention conditions

Opposition activist and former Belsat TV host Pavieł Vinahradaŭ is in a punishment cell at Penal Colony No. 12 in Orša, where he will remain at least until September 2. Prison authorities branded him a “malicious offender of the regime” for a daytime nap. Vinahradaŭ was diagnosed with an active tuberculosis in prison.

Convicted Russian national Sofya Sapega (Safija Sapieha) has had her residence permit in Belarus revoked. She is serving a six-year sentence for administering opposition Telegram channel Chernaya Kniga Belarusi. Earlier, she asked Łukašenka for pardon.

As of August 31, human rights defenders identified at least 1,309 people imprisoned on politically-motivated charges.