Update on trials and politically-motivated persecution
December 23, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on December 22.
Criminal proceedings
The Minsk Regional Court sentenced Vital Mielnik to 16 years in a high-security prison for an alleged act of sabotage carried out in protest against Russia’s assault on Ukraine, Dissidentby reported. He was also fined 9,600 rubels (about $3,565).
A court in Minsk sentenced Michaił Sudnik and his wife Darja to three years of restricted freedom in home confinement for participation in 2020 protests, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported. Authorities used a picture from a book on protests to charge them.
Viačasłaŭ Aŭčuk from Pinsk, Brest region, was sentenced to two years in prison for an online comment allegedly insulting Alaksandr Łukašenka.
Viasna’s jailed leaders will go on trial at a Minsk court on January 5. The Nobel Peace Prize winner Aleś Bialacki and his associates Valancin Stefanovič and Uładzimir Łabkovič face charges of smuggling cash across the border and financing protests. Źmicier Sałaŭjoŭ, who fled the country, would be tried in absentia as part of the same case.
Trials
Authorities jailed a worker from a Minsk district company (name withheld) for 13 days for a white-red-white flag sticker on his locker in the company’s changing room, Viasna said.
New criminal cases
Belarusian authorities started special proceedings against Uładzimir Astapienka, former Belarus’ ambassador to Argentina and current head of the opposition’s Brussels office, BPN reported. Prosecutors accuse the diplomat of large-scale embezzlement.
Dźmitryj Hulin from the Brest region faces charges of high treason for allegedly passing information on activities and locations of Russian troops in Belarus to the Ukrainian secret services, the Brest branch of Viasna said.
Release
Authorities released Maksim Lacuncevič, father of seven, after he had served in full a 22-month prison term for online comments on the 2021 shootout involving an IT engineer and KGB officers, known as the “Zielcer case.”
New political prisoners
Human rights defenders added eight more people to the political prisoners’ list, taking their total to 1,442 as of December 23, Viasna reported.
- PoliticsBySol warns of impersonation by law enforcers after Biełaruski Hajun leakThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsOver 1,000 extremist content requests sent by Minsk region prosecutors since 2021The material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityTop security official, border chief discuss Ukraine sector build-upThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyDirect flights to Moscow top recent Biełavija saleThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsCoE local and regional body invites Belarus’ opposition to participate in sessionsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsZelensky: Russia may use Belarus to invade Poland or Lithuania in 2025The material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- PoliticsBelarus’ envoy discusses expanding ties with CubaThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyBiełstat: foreign investment down 10 percent in 2024The material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyHealth ministry raises salary bonuses for nursesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Security, Society
- PoliticsReprisals: authorities targeted journalists on 760 occasions in 2023-2024The material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- Society
- Politics, SecurityOpposition faction calls for negotiations to exchange two former Belarusian soldiers in UkraineThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyBelPol concerned about Belarusian business executives’ planned visit to ItalyThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyBelarus slides in corruption perception rankingThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyMore Belarusians arrested for offenses in PolandThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsLebanese president planning to visit MinskThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyUkraine to terminate communications deal with BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsProminent fitness coach Navažyłava to stand trial over postelection protestsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsBelarusian diplomat says Trump’s decisions to affect UNThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- Economy
- Economy
- Politics
- PoliticsBelarus' top diplomat in Lebanon after it forms new governmentThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsEU advisory body to help organize a series of Belarus-themed eventsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy, PoliticsBelarus to negotiate double tax treaty with JordanThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsReprisals: ex-prisoner sounds alarm over health of women jailed over politicsThe material is available only to POZIRK+