Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution

October 30, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on October 29.

Arrests

Police arrested rock musicians from The Tor Band and their wives in Rahačoŭ, Homiel region, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported. They may have been jailed for 15 days at a detention center in Žłobin. Authorities accused them of instigating protests for subscribing to and sharing opposition-made content. 

Searches

Police searched the house of arrested human rights defender Anastasija Łojka. Pro-government sources posted a video where she admits to receiving funding from foreign organizations. This fall she had already served two 15-day jail terms on charges of disorderly conduct, while criminal charges of tax evasion were dropped.

Deportation

Russian police arrested Alaksiej Koršun and deported him to Belarus, human rights defender Raman Kisialoŭ reported. In 2021, authorities sentenced him to two and a half years in prison on charges of inciting hatred. He escaped to Russia from an open-type correctional facility where he had been transferred as a part of a clemency program. Human rights groups declared Koršun political prisoner.

Trials 

A court in Hrodna sentenced Juryj Kurčeŭski to two years of restricted freedom in an open-type correctional facility for participating in the 2020 protests, Viasna reported. This type of sentence implies that inmates live in barracks and are required to find a job in the location. They are allowed to leave the facility for work only.

Content blacklisted as “extremist”

A court in Minsk blacklisted the content of the Belarusian Investigative Center (BRC) on its website and social media pages as “extremist.” BRC is an independent media organization specializing in investigative journalism. It is a member of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).

Authorities also blacklisted a number of protest social media pages and Telegram channels from Minsk, Hrodna, and Słuck.

As of October 30, human rights defenders identified at least 1,334 political prisoners.