Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution

December 1, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on November 29 and 30.

Arrests and releases

Homiel police arrested Hleb Viatoškin for allegedly disseminating extremist content, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported.

At least five people were arrested at the Miory metal rolling plant, Viciebsk region, for participation in 2020 protests.

Minsk police arrested sociologist Aksana Šelest, according to a post on Uładzimir Mackievič’s Facebook page. The charges against her remain unclear.

Police also arrested someone who allegedly left a negative comment about the late Foreign Minister Uładzimir Makiej, Viasna said. A pro-government source said police are after 20 other commenters based in Belarus and about 50 based abroad.

Authorities released nine former students and a lecturer convicted in connection with post-election protests after they had served their sentences in full, Belsat TV reported. The pro-government sources warned them against giving interviews to media outlets blacklisted as extremist in Belarus.

Authorities released Arciom Kandraćjeŭ after he had served 18 months of restricted freedom for negative comments about a police officer, Viasna reported.

Criminal charges

Authorities charged former prosecutor Aleh Talerčyk with facilitating extremist activity and inciting hatred, the Prosecutor General’s Office said.

Trials

Authorities jailed human rights defender Anastasija Łoika for a third consecutive term of 15 days, on charges of disorderly conduct, Human Constanta reported.

Five employees of a financial company in Homiel received 10-day jail terms, Viasna said. 

Viktoryja Anochava-Žuraŭlova, a mother of 13, will serve 10 days in jail for allegedly violating home confinement rules, the Brest branch of Viasna said. She is currently serving a three-year restricted freedom sentence for posting a comment about Alaksandr Łukašenka.

Criminal proceedings

The Supreme Court upheld lengthy prison sentences against the defendants in a high-profile coup d’état case, Euroradio reported. Belarusian Popular Front (BPF) Chair Ryhor Kastusioŭ was sentenced to 10 years in prison; Belarusian-born US lawyer Juryj Ziankovič, to 11 years in prison; literature critic and political scientist Alaksandr Fiaduta, to 10 years, accountant Volha Hałubovič and truck driver Dzianis Kraŭčuk, to two and a half years each.

Authorities sentenced former prosecutor Aleh Jemakoŭ to six years in prison for sharing information on police officers, Viasna said.

A court sentenced Siarhiej Anufryjenka and Siarhiej Jeśmanovič to two years in prison each for online comments on the 2021 shootout involving an IT engineer and KGB officers, known as the “Zielcer case.”

Neurologist Alaksandr Cialeha was sentenced to six months in prison for online comments, but the sentence has not been added to his four-year term of imprisonment.

Alaksiej Michniuk is to serve 18 months in prison and Uładzimir Sałdataŭ, two years of restricted freedom in an open-type correctional facility, for insulting Łukašenka.

Other instances of persecution

Maryja Kaleśnikava, currently serving a lengthy prison term on politically-motivated charges, is recovering after surgery at an intensive care unit at Homiel’s hospital, former presidential hopeful Viktar Babaryka’s campaign said. Doctors have refused to disclose her diagnosis even to her father.

Prison authorities labeled journalist Dzianis Ivašyn as prone to extremism, Viasna said. He is currently serving 13 years in prison on charges widely seen as politically motivated.

Dźmitry and Kaciaryna Laŭkovič were given three years of home confinement for participation in protests.

Extremist list

A court in the Brest region blacklisted the Belarusian souvenir store Roskvit’s website and Instagram page with 490 followers as extremist content, BPN reported. A week earlier, the Committee for State Security (KGB) searched the home of Juryj Kazakievič, Roskvit’s owner and activist of the outlawed Movement for Freedom.

Authorities branded Strana Dlya Zhizni (Country for Life) an extremist group, pro-government Telegram channels said. It is associated with former presidential hopeful Siarhiej Cichanoŭski, the husband of the Belarusian opposition leader Sviatłana Cichanoŭskaja.

The KGB added Andrej Androsienkaŭ, Illa Vieramiejeŭ, Illa Holcaŭ and Palina Arechava to its terrorist list. They were previously convicted of incitement to hatred, a charge often used to silence regime critics.

As of December 1, human rights defenders identified at least 1,447 political prisoners. One of the recent additions to the list is Dźmitryj Siemčanka, a former state television journalist who resigned in protest against police brutality after the 2020 presidential election.