Round-up of political persecution for September 2

September 3, BPN. New arrests were reported on September 2.

A small business owner was detained in Minsk. He is accused of “incitement to social hatred” and “attempted murder of a policeman,” the Viasna Human Rights Center reported. “The Ministry of Internal Affairs’ main internal security directorate has identified a Telegram user who posted in an extremist Telegram chat in November 2020 calls for murder of police officers. In spite of the 53-year-old entrepreneur’s secret lifestyle, the man was detained. He actively resisted the officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ special unit with an axe, which he had purchased supposedly to protect himself against wild animals,” said a spokesperson for the interior ministry.

A Hrodna kindergarten’s 52-year-old security guard Valancin Dubroŭščyk was detained for online comments about Alaksandr Łukašenka, the Hrodna Regional Executive Committee’s chairman, former Health Minister Uładzimir Karanik and Russian soldiers, Viasna reported.

Six villagers were detained in the Homiel region: Ludmiła Viciaź, Nadzieja Škuda, Alaksandr Chadko, Michaił Apanovič, Alaksiej Marčanka, and one unidentified person. Pro-government sources say they “repent” of subscribing to “extremist” Telegram channels, Viasna reported.

Mahilou resident Juryj Pašyn was detained for TikTok videos expressing support for Ukraine. Pro-government sources say he “repented” and “supported” Russian aggression, Mayday.team reported.

Criminal charges

Former Belsat TV journalist Pavieł Mažejka, detained on August 31, has been transferred to Hrodna’s Prison No 1, which means that a criminal case has been opened against him, a Belarusian state television channel reported.

Jula Jurhilevič, a lawyer with 17 years of experience, has been transferred to a pre-trial detention center. She had left the country in February, but returned and was detained. She defended artist Aleś Puškin, musician Ihar Bancar, and other political prisoners. On February 23, she was expelled from the Hrodna Region Bar Association for “systematic violations of law,” Viasna reported.

Administrative proceedings

Minsk lawyer Uładzimir Anhielski was jailed for 14 days. He was arrested on August 31 and accused of defying police orders. He had worked with lawyer Vital Brahiniec, who was detained in May for participating in protests and has spent months in custody, Viasna reported.

Criminal proceedings

The Minsk City Court rejected an appeal by the Flying University’s program coordinator, social scientist Taćciana Vadałažskaja, against her two-and-a-half-year “restricted freedom” sentence for participation in post-election protests, BPN reported.

The Minsk City Court sentenced Natalla Nikicina of Minsk’s center for child psychiatry and psychotherapy to 22 months in prison, and fined her 6,400 rubles (some $2,500) for a post about the death of a KGB officer in a shootout. She is accused of insulting a state official and inciting social hatred. She was detained on September 29 at her workplace. A few hours earlier, Nikicina, a doctor with almost 30 years of experience, had been informed of her dismissal, Viasna reported.

In the framework of the same case, 30-year-old Minsk resident Vital Rohač was sentenced to two-and-a-half years’ imprisonment and fined the same amount, Viasna reported. He commented about a KGB officer’s death by writing: “The bandit will rest in concrete.”

Another defendant in the case, 32-year-old political prisoner Ivan Rahatnioŭ, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, Viasna reported.

Andrej Ściepańkoŭ, a 41-year-old resident of Ilič, Rahačoŭ district, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison. He had been charged with inciting hatred and insulting state officials. He has been in custody since September 16, 2021, Viasna reported.

Political prisoner Kanstancin Vysočyn, who worked as an architecture bureau’s creative director, received three years of restricted freedom for participating in protests, Viasna reported.

A prosecutor requested three years in prison for Mikita Ślepianok, who administered culture and history channel Rezystans on the Telegram messaging app. He is accused of creating an extremist group, Viasna reported.

Charges in detention

Radyjo Svaboda freelancer Andrej Kuźniečyk, who was sentenced to six years in a penal colony, has been transferred from a Mahilou prison to the penal colony in Navapolack. He was accused of creating an extremist group, Viasna Viciebsk reported.

Release

Russian national Irina Vikholm, recognized as a political prisoner, has been released from prison after serving her sentence and deported with a 10-year entry ban, Viasna reported. She was sentenced to a year-and-a-half in prison for the “defamatory” comment about Alaksandr Łukašenka after the Ryanair aircraft incident: “Łukašenka’s another crime: an act of state air piracy.”

Human rights groups identified 1,323 political prisoners in Belarus in the morning of September 3.