Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution

November 9, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on November 8.

Arrests

Police in Homiel arrested football fan Alaksiej Barsukoŭ for a photo of him posing with an opposition flag in Germany, Flagshtok reported. Police also accused the man of subscribing to “extremist” Telegram channels, describing him as the leader of a “neo-Nazi football gang.”

The STV television channel aired “penitent” videos of five men who were detained allegedly after contacting the Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment via a chatbot, Mediazona reported. They are: Alaksandr Bialejeŭski, Uładzisłaŭ Daŭjetas, Juryj Palityka, Alaksiej Kalibab and Jaŭhien Uładzimiraŭ.

Police arrested a man for traces of the Pahonia coat of arms sticker on his car’s registration plate. They also accused the man of participating in protests in Minsk in August 2020, pro-government Telegram channels reported.

Anton Fursa, a resident of Hrodna, was arrested upon his return from Poland for undesirable comments on Telegram, pro-government channels wrote.

Trials

A district court in Minsk sentenced Minsk resident Vital Cymončyk to 10.5 years in prison for gross violations of public order and illegal trafficking in narcotic drugs. It also fined Cymončyk 3,200 rubels (some $1,300). In addition, the court ordered that the man’s passport wallet and white-red-white scarf be destroyed. The sentence was announced on August 8, but human rights activists have only learned about it now. The decision has come into effect, and Cymončyk has been transferred to a prison. The Viasna Human Rights Center reported that he had pleaded not guilty.

The Minsk City Court sentenced political prisoner Siarhiej Ryndzievič to two years in prison for online comments on the 2021 shootout involving an IT engineer and KGB officers, known as the “Zielcer case.” Viasna reported that he was found guilty of inciting hatred and insulting a public official. He was also fined 6,400 rubels.

A district court in Minsk sentenced Anton Kaściučenka to 18 months in prison, Viasna reported. Presumably, the man was charged with participating in 2020 protests.

On December 1, the Minsk City Court will hear the case of political prisoner Hienadź Mažejka, a former journalist of Komsomolskaya Pravda v Belarusi, Viasna reported. He is charged with insulting Alaksandr Łukašenka and inciting hatred over an article about the Zielcer case.

The Minsk City Court is hearing the case of businessman Hleb Hładkoŭski, 37, Viasna reported. For comments on the Zielcer case, he was charged with insulting Łukašenka, inciting hatred, calling for sanctions or shocks on Belarus and obstructing journalistic activity.

Alesia Bunievič will go on trial on November 14 in the Hrodna District Court on charges regarded by human rights defenders as politically motivated. She is charged with illegal crossing of the border, Viasna reported.

Prosecutors referred to court a criminal case against military expert Jahor Lebiadok, 40, a resident of the Minsk region’s Smalavičy district, the Prosecutor General’s Office said. He is charged with facilitating extremist activity for his interviews with “extremist” media.

Other incidents

The administration of the Vaŭčynyja Nory penal colony in the Brest region’s Ivacevičy district petitioned for tougher penalties for artist Aleś Puškin and his transfer to a prison. A judge will consider the petition on November 11, Viasna reported.

A judge ordered defendants in the high-profile “Cichanoŭski case” to pay 22 million rubels for extra hours that police had to work during the 2020 protests, Viasna reported. Six political prisoners were convicted in the case: Siarhiej Cichanoŭski (18 years in prison), Arciom Sakaŭ (16 years), Dźmitryj Papoŭ (16 years), Ihar Łosik (15 years), Uładzimir Cyhanovič (15 years) and Mikałaj Statkievič (14 years).

Extremist content and groups

The authorities declared posts on Telegram channels PRA NAS, Maleykovshchizna, Lida, Molodezhnyy, Lida and in the Pruzhanka/Pruzhanets Telegram chat extremist content. They also attached this label to VK community Plokhiye Novosti Belarus. On November 1, the Ministry of Internal Affairs added to its register of extremist groups the followers of the Belarusian National Shield Union on social media.

Belarus had at least 1,390 political prisoners as of the evening of November 8.