Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution

October 27, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on October 26.

Arrests

Police arrested a manager and two employees of AeroBelService, a tour operator, for participation in protests, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported.

A Lida district resident is under arrest for tearing down an official flag in central Minsk on October 26. The Investigative Committee accused her of abusing state symbols.

Police also arrested Alaksandr Rumko, 64, on charges of rehabilitating Nazism and inciting hatred, pro-government sources said.

Student Alaksiej Haroch from Brest is under arrest for drawing a picture of the Crimean Bridge explosion, the Brest branch of Viasna reported.

Four students of the Hrodna State Medical University were arrested for dancing in front of a white-red-white flag at the apartment of their arrested friend Artur Chłus.

Musician Alaksiej Kuźmin, an employee of the MTS telecommunications company, is under arrest for allegedly sharing data of over 100 people.

Criminal persecution

Authorities accused former ONT journalist Dźmitryj Siemčanka of inciting hatred, BPN reported. Police jailed him in mid-September on charges of disorderly conduct. His wife Julija had to pay a fine of 960 rubels (about $390) for reposting opposition content.

Trials

The Minsk City Court sentenced investigative journalist Siarhiej Sacuk, editor in chief of Yezhednevnik, to eight years in prison on charges of inciting hatred, abusing office and taking bribes. He is to pay 28,384 rubels in damages (over $11,460). The Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) denounced the ruling as retaliation for his investigations exposing corruption.

A judge sentenced trade union activist Arciom Žarnak from Minsk to four years in prison for participating in protests and calling for sanctions, Viasna reported. Daniił Čałnakoŭ will serve five years in prison on similar charges.

Businessman Aleh Dutčyk from Brest will serve three years in prison for online comments critical of Alaksandr Łukašenka, according to Viasna.

Anastasija Hančarevič, a mother of two, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison on politically-motivated charges of participating in protests and insulting Łukašenka, Viasna reported.

A court sentenced Raman Bahryj to two and a half years of restricted freedom in home confinement, while his girlfriend Viktoryia Ždanovič, a software engineer and graduate student, was given one year in prison, Viasna reported.

Other instances of persecution

Authorities ordered a large online retailer to stop selling a history book by Anatol Taras blacklisted as extremist material, the Minsk city prosecutor’s office said.

The Minsk City Court shut down the Viartańnie charity that has been promoting Belarusian culture, education and science, Viasna said.

Hrodna-based musician Ihar Bancer left for Poland because of continuing persecution, Most reported. He had served 18 months in prison for participation in protests.

Authorities deported to Russia Vera Cvikievič, a Russian national who had served one year in Belarusian prison over protests and whose picture appeared on the front page of Komsomolskaya Pravda v Belarusi, Viasna said. She was banned from entering Belarus for five years.

As of October 27, human rights defenders identified at least 1,337 political prisoners.