Round-up of political persecution for September 1

September 2, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on September 1.

Arrests

Ivan Muraŭjoŭ, 43, a restaurant manager and a journalist, was arrested in Minsk on suspicion of committing an “extremist” crime, Naša Niva reported.

Police arrested Alina Fiedarovič, Siarhiej Baranoŭski, and Andrej Suraviehin in Lelčycy, Homiel region, for subscribing to Telegram channels labeled extremist, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported. Anatol Antončyk from Kobryn was also arrested on a same charge as well as for sharing information about a local official with one of these channels.

Cook Arseń Kandrašoŭ, 28, was arrested in Hrodna on charges of distributing extremist content.

Criminal proceedings

Opposition activist Jana Pinčuk was extradited from Russia. She is charged with creating an extremist group, inciting hatred and calling for overthrowing the government. She is also accused of setting up an “extremist” Telegram channel Viciebsk 97 Percent between September 2020 and November 2021.

Trials

Orthodox priest Uładzisłaŭ Bahamolnikaŭ was jailed for 14 days. He may face criminal charges for creating an extremist group, human rights defenders say. Bahamolnikaŭ was one of the priests who served the funeral mass for opposition activist Raman Bandarenka, who died while in police custody after being beaten by unknown men in 2020.

Natalla Hančarenka, 31, was sentenced to 3 years of restricted freedom and released in the courtroom. She was kept in custody since May 31 on charges of gross violations of public order. Hančarenka “admitted” under duress to blocking traffic during the 2020 post-election protests, subscribing to “extremist” Telegram channels, and registering with the opposition’s Pieramoha Plan, Viasna reported. 

A court in Viciebsk sentenced Alaksiej Reznikaŭ, 34, to four and a half years in prison for social media activities. He was arrested after he had returned to Belarus to look after his sick mother. His mother died three days after his arrest.

Barys Kajzer from Rečyca was sentenced to 15 months in prison for insulting Alaksandr Łukašenka, Flagshtok reported. The charge stemmed from a social media video in which he predicted Russia’s defeat in the war with Ukraine and condemned Łukašenka’s support for the Russian invasion.

Another Rečyca resident, Alaksandr Zubaraŭ, was reportedly sentenced to 18 months of restricted freedom (or possibly prison) for insulting a public official, Viasna reported.

Dźmitryj Kryvulka from Žytkavičy was sentenced to 18 months in prison for insulting Łukašenka in social media.

Lilija Ananian, Alena Malinoŭskaja, and Anatol Łatuška, cousin of the opposition politician Pavieł Łatuška, considered political prisoners, will go on trial in Minsk on September 12. They are charged with gross violations of public order, abusing state symbols, and hooliganism.

Alena Lazarčuk, a mother of a young child, will also go on trial on the same day. She is accused of insulting Łukašenka, establishing an extremist group, and inciting hatred. In July, the authorities included her name on the list of persons involved in terrorist activities. Human rights groups declared her a political prisoner.

Political prisoners under pressure

Herman Bychaŭ, sentenced to three years in prison for inciting hatred, had been severely beaten at least once a day at the Mahiloŭ detention center prior to his transfer to a penal colony in the Viciebsk region, a former inmate told human rights defenders, Mayday.team reported.

Alaksiej Kudasaŭ spent 29 days in the punishment cell at the Vaŭkavysk penal colony. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison for allegedly organizing mass riots, creating an extremist group, inciting hatred, and insulting a public official, according to Viasna.