Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution

December 21, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on December 20.

Arrests and releases

Riot police arrested Belarusians who were returning from Poland right at the border, the Viasna Human Rights Center said. At least 10 people were arrested on December 19 alone. Eyewitnesses said that police took people off buses for alleged participation in protests, online comments, and meetings with certain people. The scale of the arrests as well as specific charges remain unclear.

Authorities released Homiel opposition activist Illa Mironaŭ after 12 days in jail, BPN reported. In mid-November, authorities jailed him for five days on charges of distributing opposition content. In October, he was also sentenced to 18 months in prison and released in the courtroom as he had served his full term in pre-trial detention.

Authorities sentenced Minsk tour guide Aksana Mankievič and Pinsk resident Dzianis Stasievič to three years of restricted freedom in home confinement each on charges of participating in protests and posting abusive online comments about a police officer, respectively, Viasna said.

Former Viciebsk policeman Uładzisłaŭ Aŭčynnikaŭ was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for sharing personal data online, Viasna said.

Criminal proceedings

Alaksandr Jarašuk, leader of the outlawed Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions, and his deputy Siarhiej Antusievič and accountant Iryna But-Husajim are on trial at the Minsk City Court, BPN reported. Authorities accuse them of participating in protests, while Jarašuk is also charged with calling for sanctions.

Minsk bar owner and journalist Ivan Muraŭjoŭ will go on trial on December 22 for alleged association with an extremist group, Viasna said. Human rights defenders consider him a political prisoner.

New criminal charges

Prosecutors in Belarus opened a new criminal case against blogger Andrej Pavuk, accusing him of facilitating extremist activities in addition to the charges of desecrating state symbols, illegally handling personal data and insulting an official, BPN reported. 

Appeal rejected

The Supreme Court upheld the guilty verdict against investigative journalist Dzianis Ivašyn, Viasna reported. He had been sentenced to 13 years in prison and ordered to pay 22,800 rubels (about $8,795) in fines and damages to unnamed alleged victims.

Other instances of persecution

A court in Russia ruled to extradite Orša resident Andrej Ruskich, accused of insulting Alaksandr Łukašenka, Russian human rights defenders said.

Prosecutors sent to court a criminal case against 15 persons accused of attacking the house of MP Aleh Hajdukievič, head of the Liberal Democratic Party, BPN reported.

Authorities also started special proceedings against Ihar Čamiakin, Dzianis Chamicevič, and Vadzim Prakopjeŭ, a former businessman and one of the founders of the Pahonia volunteer regiment in Ukraine. Prakopjeŭ faces at least 12 criminal charges linked to extremism and terrorism, BPN reported.

Content branded “extremist”

Authorities blacklisted several social media accounts as extremist content, including the Instagram community of Belarusians in Austria, Viasna reported.

As of December 21, human rights defenders identified at least 1,435 political prisoners.