As many as 900 more declared political prisoners in 2022

January 8, BPN. Human rights defenders declared 889 people as political prisoners in 2022, taking their total to 1,446 at the end of 2022, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported.

Over 11 percent were women (162); 37 percent (532) were serving their sentences in prisons, 32 percent (460) in pre-trial detention facilities, 18 percent (258) in open-type correctional facilities, and 2.6 percent (38) in closed prisons.

Six persons were placed in juvenile correctional facilities, two remained under house arrest, and five were serving jail terms. Human rights defenders did not have not obtained information about the whereabouts of the remaining 10 percent (145).

Courts sentenced 70 people to lengthy prison terms (10 and more years). Prominent regime critic Mikałaj Aŭtuchovič was given the record prison term of 25 years.

At least 15 of those who faced politically-motivated charges are married couples, 74 have disabilities or serious diseases, and 25 are seniors. In August 2022, authorities sentenced Natalla Taran, 74, the oldest one, to three and a half years on charges of insulting Alaksandr Łukašenka and public officials.

Eduard Babaryka, a son of former presidential hopeful Viktar Babaryka, spent the longest in pre-trial detention without trial, 927 days as of December 31, 2022.

Thirty-two journalists, six lawyers and six human rights defenders are also among those behind bars on politically motivated charges, while every 13th political prisoner (108 out of 1,446) is an artist.

Authorities tried a total of 120 people for online comments on the 2021 shootout involving an IT engineer and KGB officers, known as the “Zielcer case.” Their prison terms ranged from 18 months to six and a half years. Authorities also blacklisted 148 political prisoners as terrorists.

In 2022, authorities released 253 persons whom human rights groups considered political prisoners.