Update on trials and politically-motivated persecution

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

Extremist list updates

A court in Minsk blacklisted the New Belarus application as extremist content, BPN reported. Authorities also threatened to prosecute its subscribers as members of an extremist group. Chief developer Pavieł Liber describes the project as a platform to unite Belarusians, both at home and abroad.

Criminal proceedings

A court in Minsk sentenced former Belarusian national soccer team goalkeeper Vasil Chamutoŭski to two years of restricted freedom in home confinement, Tribuna.com reported. Authorities accused Chamutoŭski of participating in post-election protests.

Authorities also sentenced researcher Aleh Davydzienka, 71, and his wife Natalla Akciabrskaja to three years of restricted freedom in home confinement on charges of participating in protests and insulting Alaksandr Łukašenka. Davydzienka was fired from the Academy of Sciences.

Jaŭhien Hurynaŭ received a two-and-a-half-year restricted freedom sentence for participating in protests, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported.

A court in the Brest region sentenced Raman Koržyk to one year of restricted freedom and a fine of 6,000 rubels (over $2,190), Viasna said. Authorities accused him of insulting six policemen.

Trials in absentia

The Investigative Committee reported that it forwarded to prosecutors criminal cases against former presidential hopeful Valer Capkała and Uładzimir Astapienka, former diplomat and current head of the opposition’s Brussels office. Capkała faces 12 criminal charges, including creating and running an extremist group. Astapienka is accused of large-scale embezzlement.

As of December 30, human rights defenders identified at least 1,453 political prisoners.