Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution

November 28, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on November 26 and 27.

Arrests

Authorities have not released human rights defender Anastasija Łojka after her two 15-day jail terms expired, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported. Following her arrest on October 28, authorities jailed her on charges of disorderly conduct, while the pro-government sources accused her of “receiving funding from foreign organizations.”

Valancina Bołbat from Vierchniadźvinsk, Viciebsk region, is under arrest for 10 days, the Viciebsk branch of Viasna said. Police questioned her about activities of the Movement for Freedom and its leader Juryj Hubarevič, recently appointed to the opposition transition cabinet.

Authorities have not released from custody Orthodox priest Uładzisłaŭ Bahamolnikaŭ following his sixth consecutive jail term, Chryścijanskaja Vizija group reported. Police arrested him on August 31 after breaking into his Minsk apartment. The charges remain unclear. He has been held in a detention center on Akreścina Street in Minsk for over 88 days.

Criminal charges

Authorities accuse brothers Dźmitryj and Uładzimir Karakin of participating in protests, Viasna said. Musicians from the Litesound band that represented Belarus at the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest remain in custody at Detention Center No. 1 on Vaładarskaha Street in Minsk.

Criminal proceedings

A court sentenced trade unionist Michaił Hromaŭ to two and a half years of restricted freedom in home confinement for participating in protests.

Law school student Uładzimir Zapolski will have to serve two years in prison and pay a fine of 6,400 rubels (about $2,650) for online comments on the 2021 shootout involving an IT engineer and KGB officers, known as the “Zielcer case.”

Other instances of persecution

Police interviewed the father of the exiled Catholic priest Viačasłaŭ Barok.

As of November 28, human rights defenders identified at least 1,445 political prisoners.