Update on trials and politically-motivated persecution

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

Arrests

Police arrested at least 12 people in Minsk from December 23 to 26 for unknown reasons, including Uładzimir Alisievič, Uładzimir Ałuf, Arciom Bohdan, Nikita But-Husaim, Uładzimir Vidahold, Juryj Davydzienka, Paveł Dziatko, Alena Kaŭzunovič, Ihar Karolik, Dźmitry Lapacin, Alaksandr Łohvinaŭ and Alaksej Majsienia, Spiski Zaderzhannykh (Lists of Detainees), a group of human rights volunteers, reported.

Police in Minsk arrested Uładzisłaŭ Čachovič, a prominent blogger and Wikipedia editor. The law enforcers released a video of his interrogation, in which he said that he is in opposition to the government and supports Ukraine, pro-government Telegram channels reported.

Officers of the Main Directorate for Fighting Organized Crime and Corruption arrested siblings Michaił and Alaksandra Razuvanaŭ for alleged participation in 2020 protests, Viasna reported. They might face criminal charges.

Trials

The Słonim District Court, Hrodna region, sentenced local journalist, writer and historian Siarhiej Čyhryn to 15 days in jail, the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) reported. The 64-year-old former Gazeta Slonimskaya journalist was expected to be released on December 23 after serving a seven-day term for dissemination of “extremist” content. Instead, he was convicted of the same offense and given a longer term. The Słonim Drama Theater sacked Čyhryn as head of its literary department three days after his arrest.

The Minsk City Court handed down prison sentences on two prominent Belarusian athletes living abroad, trade union leaders, a former investigator and a journalist, Viasna reported. Judge Śviatłana Bandarenka sentenced two founders of the Belarusian Sports Solidarity Foundation to 12 years in prison without the defendants being present at the trial. She found three-time Olympic medalist Alaksandra Hierasimenia and handball club Vityaz Leon former director Alaksandr Apiejkin guilty of calling for sanctions to be imposed on Belarus.

In another trial, the same court imposed prison sentences on leaders of the outlawed Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions. Chairman Alaksandr Jarašuk was sentenced to four years in prison; his deputy Siarhiej Antusievič, to two years; and accountant Iryna But-Husajim, to 18 months. All three were found guilty of organization of/active participation in group actions grossly disturbing public order in connection with protests that followed the 2020 presidential election. Jarašuk, who had repeatedly and publicly criticized the Western policy of sanctions, was also convicted of calling for sanctions.

The Minsk City Court also sentenced former investigator Jaŭhien Juškievič to 11 years in a high-security prison, Prosecutor General’s Office reported. The judge found him guilty of participating in protests, inciting hatred and disobeying police orders. Prosecutors also accused Juškievič of being a regular contributor to an opposition Telegram channel blacklisted as extremist.

The Minsk City Court has sentenced cameraman and photographer Ivan Muraŭjoŭ to two and a half years in prison, the BAJ reported.

Protesters freed

Uładzimir Talatynnik and Vital Lytvin, sentenced in connection with a mass protest that took place in downtown Brest in 2020, were freed in mid-November and early December after fully serving their sentences at an open-type correctional facility, Viasna’s Brest branch said.

Prisoners in punishment cell

Homiel’s Detention Center No. 3 placed Jaŭhien Merkis, a prominent journalist in detention since September 13 on suspicion of facilitating extremism, in a punishment cell for four days, Štodzień reported.

The administration of Penal Colony No. 11 in Vaŭkavysk transferred Siarhiej Ramanaŭ, an opposition activist serving a 20-year prison term, to the internal prison, the Pravo na Vosstaniye Telegram channel reported. He had spent one month in the internal prison in September.

Human rights defenders updated their list of political prisoners in the afternoon of December 26. It contained 1,439 names. However, human rights advocates admit that many political reprisals remain undocumented.