Update on trials and politically-motivated persecution

December 24, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on December 23.

Criminal proceedings

The Minsk Regional Court sentenced military expert Jahor Lebiadok to five years in prison for two interviews with Euroradio, a Polish-based radio station that Belarusian authorities consider extremist, the Prosecutor General’s Office reported.

A prosecutor requested a four-year prison term for trade union leader Alaksandr Jarašuk, two years for his deputy Siarhiej Antusievič and 18 months for accountant Iryna But-Husajim. Authorities accuse them of participating in protests and calling for sanctions.

The Minsk City Court will announce a verdict in a case against former investigator Jaŭhien Juškievič on December 26. He faces a number of criminal charges, including staging riots and inciting hatred.

Former Belarusian national soccer team goalkeeper Vasil Chamutoŭski will go on trial in Minsk on December 28, Viasna said. Police arrested him on September 30 for a repost from an opposition Telegram channel.

Trials

Authorities jailed Vadzim Žaromski for 15 days, Viasna reported. He is the husband of prominent Belarusian human rights defender Marfa Rabkova, sentenced to 15 years in prison on politically-motivated charges.

Journalist and writer Siarhiej Čyhryn was not released after he had spent seven days in jail for reposting opposition content. He faces another trial scheduled for December 26, Hrodna human rights defenders reported. 

Other instances of persecution

Authorities transferred former student Maciej Hrankievič, 21, to Babrujsk Penal Сolony No 2, Viasna said. He was sentenced to two years and two months in prison on charges of participating in protests and inciting hatred.

The Belarusian Committee for State Security (KGB) added 20 people to its register of people involved in terrorism, including Dzianis Chamicevič, Ihar Čamiakin, and Vadzim Prakopjeŭ, co-founder of the Pahonia volunteer unit fighting Russians in Ukraine, BPN reported.

Release

Authorities released former student Taćciana Jekielčyk after she had served her two-and-a-half-year prison sentence in full, the MGLU za Svobodu Telegram channel reported.

New political prisoners

Belarusian human rights activists declared Fieliks Žylinski (four years in prison) and Andrej Navakoŭski (three years in prison) political prisoners, Viasna reported. Charges against them included insulting Alaksandr Łukašenka and participating in protests. 

As of December 24, human rights defenders identified at least 1,442 political prisoners.