Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution

November 16, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on November 15.

Arrests

Police arrested engineer Anton Chatkievič from Mazyr, Homiel region, for online comments, pro-government sources reported. Investigators also suspect him of forming an extremist group.

Advertising agency head Pavieł Bielikaŭ and his wife are under arrest in Minsk presumably in connection with the police crackdown on Chernaya Kniga Belarusi (Eng.: Black Book of Belarus), an online project exposing the identities of security officers who mistreated and brutalized peaceful protesters.

Viciebsk police questioned local journalist Žana Žalevič over her two-years old social media posts. She was released but is to stand trial on November 18, the Viciebsk branch of the Viasna Human Rights Center reported.

Police arrested Dźmitryj Sciapanaŭ on suspicion that he administered a protest Telegram chat that allegedly ran calls to violence against policemen, a pro-government source said.

Criminal persecution

Authorities charged five members of Sajuz Biełaruskaha Nacyanalnaha Ščyta (Eng. Union of the Belarusian National Shield) with organizing and running an extremist group.

The Committee for State Security (KGB) accused a cleaning company from Minsk of tax evasion, Belarus 1 TV channel reported. Its CEO Alena Cichanava and several employees are under arrest. Authorities also accused Cichanava of ties with U.S. foundations and the Slovak interior ministry.

Criminal proceedings

A court in Lida, Hrodna region, sentenced Dźmitryj Miadźviedzki to three years in prison on charges of participating in protests, insulting Łukašenka, and damaging railroad equipment, Viasna reported. Sabotage on the Belarusian railway started after the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24 as a form of antiwar protest.

The Minsk Regional Court sentenced trade unionist Alaksandr Mišuk to two and a half years in prison in connection with a speech he had delivered at a protest rally in 2020, the Belarusian Independent Trade Union reported.

Jana Małaš, another trade union activist, received an 18-months prison sentence for participating in protests, Viasna said. A court in Lida handed down the same sentence on Valeryj Tumilevič for allegedly insulting Łukašenka. Human rights defenders declared Mišuk, Małaš, and Tumilevič political prisoners.

Andrej Kasparovič will serve two years of restricted freedom in an open-type correctional facility for insulting Łukašenka and abusing state symbols.

The Minsk City Court is hearing behind closed doors a case against former investigator Jaúhien Juškievič, who founded ByChange project to assist police officers who resigned in protest against human rights abuses. Juškievič faces a number of criminal charges, including staging riots and inciting hatred.

Mikita Staraženka, another former investigator, is also on trial at the same court for allegedly sharing police officers’ personal data with opposition Telegram channels.

Journalist and Polish minority activist Andrzej Poczobut will go on trial in Hrodna on November 28 on charges of inciting hatred.

Content blacklisted as extremist

Belarusian courts have blacklisted several local online communities from Pinsk, Brest region, and Voranava, Hrodna region, as extremist content.

As of November 16, human rights defenders identified at least 1,421 political prisoners.