Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution

January 19, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on January 18.

Arrested and released

Brest police arrested journalist Dźmitryj Harbunoŭ for allegedly sharing online personal data of policemen, pro-government sources said.

Authorities released Jaŭhien Čarvinski on January 4 after he had served in full his prison term for alleged violence against a police officer, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported.

Criminal proceedings

The Minsk City Court delivered a guilty verdict against alleged administrators of Chernaya Kniga Belarusi (Eng.: Black Book of Belarus), an online project exposing the identities of security officers who mistreated and brutalized peaceful protesters, BPN reported.

Janina Sazanovič, Daniił Bahdanovič, Dźmitryj Navoša, Volha Vysockaja and Valeryja Zaniamonskaja were sentenced to 12 years in prison each. Authorities accused them of inciting hatred and illegally handling personal data. All five are based abroad and may lose Belarusian citizenship under the new legislation.

A court sentenced Vadzim Baranaŭ from Mazyr, Homiel region, to three years in prison for filming Russian military equipment in February 2022 and sharing videos with opposition Telegram channels, Viasna said.

A court in Minsk sentenced Dźmitryj and Natalla Hora to two years of restricted freedom in home confinement for participating in 2020 protests.

A prosecutor in Brest asked the regional court to sentence regime critic Darja Łosik to two years in prison, state-run media said. On January 19, the judge satisfied the request and convicted the woman on charges of promoting extremism over her interview to Belsat TV channel deemed extremist in Belarus, BPN reported. Darja Łosik is the wife of Ihar Łosik, a blogger and RFE/RL contributor currently serving a 15-year prison term for alleged incitement to hatred and mass riots. Human rights defenders say the Łosiks’ persecution is politically motivated.

The Homiel Regional Court adjourned a hearing in a case against Siarhiej Plaškun and Juryj Selvič, accused of damaging railroad equipment, until February 8, Viasna said. Both defendants face a total of seven criminal charges, including terrorism. Sabotage on the Belarusian railway started after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 as a form of antiwar protest. The goal was to slow down the transportation of Russian military equipment through Belarus to the warzone.

Extremist list updates

Authorities blacklisted the Novy Čas Telegram channels as well as several local Telegram channels from Maładziečna, Minsk region, as extremist content, Viasna reported.

Other instances of persecution

Prosecutors referred to court a criminal case against arrested lawyer Alaksandr Danilevič, charged with calling for sanctions and promoting extremism, the Prosecutor General’s Office reported.

Authorities transferred imprisoned journalist Dzianis Ivašyn to a prison in Mahiloŭ, Haradzienskaja Pravaabarona said. He is currently serving a 13-year prison term on charges widely seen as politically-motivated.

Anton Masłyka was transferred to a prison in the Viciebsk region where he is to serve his 18-month prison term, Viasna reported. His wife Kaciaryna Jeŭdakimava is serving a three-year restricted freedom sentence in home confinement for alleged participation in 2020 protests. Human rights groups consider the couple political prisoners.

As of January 19, human rights defenders identified at least 1,444 political prisoners.