Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution

October 28, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on October 27.

Several arrested, one released

Police arrested Minsk resident Andrej Famin for contributing and editing content for the samizdat outlet Vestniki, the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) reported.

Police also arrested Juryj Mielaškevič, a deputy chair of the Belarusian Society for Protecting Historical and Cultural Monuments and a former deputy chair of the Belarusian Popular Front, Novy Čas reported.

BelVEB bank employee Viktar Hryńko was jailed for ten days after a search at his apartment on October 21, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported. Authorities accuse him of calling for sanctions. His family members said that police officers planted protest symbols and pornographic materials during the search.

David Antašvili, a reality TV show star in Russia, was arrested for participation in protests, Mediazona reported.

Anton Navumaŭ, an employee at the national cardiology research center, is under arrest in Hrodna for participating in 2020 protests, Viasna said.

Authorities released journalist Siarhiej Hardzijevič, a resident of Drahičyn, Brest region, after he had served an 18-month prison sentence on charges of insulting public officials and Alaksandr Łukašenka, BAJ reported.

Trials

A court sentenced Sviatłana Vołčak, a former university lecturer and trade union activist, and her husband Michaił to 13 and 15 days in jail, respectively, for disobeying police, Viasna said.

The Minsk City Court sentenced freelance journalist Alaksandr Lubiančuk to three years in prison for alleged association with an extremist group, BAJ reported.

Viačasłaŭ Arestaŭ and Jaŭhien Hrycok will serve three years in home confinement for participating in protests; Jaŭhien Jarmak and his wife Anžalika, were sentenced to two and a half years of home confinement, Viasna said.

A court sentenced Dzianis Maksimaŭ to two years in prison and a fine of 6,400 rubels (about $2,590) for online comments on the 2021 shootout involving an IT engineer and KGB officers, known as the “Zielcer case.” Human rights groups declared him political prisoner.

Other instances of persecution

A court in Homiel blacklisted the Volkswagen club Gomel Telegram channel as “extremist” content.

As of October 28, human rights defenders identified at least 1,336 political prisoners.