Round-up of political persecution for September 3

September 4, BPN. New arrests were reported on September 3.

Human rights activist Uładzimir Cielapun was detained in Mazyr, Homiel Region, for “disseminating extremist content,” the Viasna Human Rights Center reported.

The Belarusian State Medical University’s associate professor Uładzimir Pikirenia was detained in Minsk. “Police detained us, as they did not like the number plate frame: it had the wrong colors. We are going to the Pieršamajski district police department,” he wrote on his Facebook page.

An unnamed chief agronomist of a farm in the Małaryta district, Brest region, was arrested, pro-government Telegram channels reported. He allegedly subscribed to the Brest 97 Telegram channel in August 2020 and registered with the Płan Pieramoha “extrimist group” on June 3, 2021.

Criminal proceedings

The Brest Regional Court sentenced a 33-year-old native of Drahičyn, Anton Maluha, to three years in prison on charges of facilitating extremist activity and gathering of state secrets, Viasna reported. The man was accused of collecting information about military units near Pinsk in the first days of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. He allegedly marked their location on a map and handed it over to a contact in Ukraine. Maluha was also purportedly uploading information to an Telegram bot deemed by authorities extremist.

A criminal case against political prisoner Jaŭhien Batura is expected to be transferred to court, his wife Dyjana Sieradziuk told BPN. The investigation was completed, and the case file was received by a prosecutor’s office. The man was detained in the morning of June 29 in Minsk and charged with organization of/active participation in group actions grossly disturbing public order.

Detainees’ living conditions

Anarchist activist Siarhiej Ramanaŭ, serving a 20-year sentence, was put in the internal prison (PKT) at the Vaŭkavysk penal colony, Hrodna region. He is to be held there for one month, Telegram channel Pravo na Vosstaniye wrote. Preliminary reports suggest that a civil lawsuit is being prepared in Salihorsk to recover 40,000 rubels (some $15,600) from Ramanaŭ for damage to cars.

BelaPAN CEO and editor in chief Iryna Leŭšyna’s detention was extended until September 28. She is accused of creating an extremist group. The Minsk Regional Court has been hearing the case against Leŭšyna, the media company’s former CEO Dźmitryj Navažyłaŭ, media manager Andrej Alaksandraŭ and his wife Iryna Złobina since June 6. In June, the trial was adjourned for at least two months because of forensics. It is expected to resume after September 5.

Release

Belsat TV journalist Darja Čulcova was freed from prison, Novy Čas reported. She and a fellow reporter, Kaciaryna Andrejeva (Bachvałava), were arrested on November 15, 2020. They broadcast live a police crackdown on protesters who gathered in a residential courtyard in Minsk, the so-called Płošča Pieramien (Square of Change), to pay tribute to murdered activist Raman Bandarenka. Both were sentenced to two years in prison (Andrejeva was later sentenced to eight years in prison under a criminal article against treason).

Ceramist Natalla Karniejeva’s husband was freed, Radyjo Svaboda reported. She is charged with organization of/active participation in group actions grossly disturbing public order. The couple was detained on August 19, and Karniejeva’s 10-year-old daughter was sent to an orphanage.

Late in the evening of September 3, there were 1,322 political prisoners in Belarus, human rights activists said.