Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution
January 21, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on January 19 and 20.
Several arrested, one released
Police arrested medical student Jana Ziabko, accusing her of organizing an independent trade union at the university and administering its Telegram chat, the Rupar BDMU/Rupor BGMU Telegram channel reported.
Dmitry Petrov, a native of Russia, was arrested in Minsk for writing a total of 7,687 online comments with alleged insults of police, Belarusian authorities and Russians, pro-government sources said.
Police arrested Maksim Jermalovič, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported. He is facing criminal charges for allegedly signing up to the opposition’s Pieramoha Plan.
Minsk police also arrested Alaksandr Sazonaŭ, Evelina Kozič, Vadzim Šafranski, and Hanna Kavalova, Viasna said. The charges against them remain unclear.
Brothers Dźmitryj and Uładzimir Karakin from the Litesound band that represented Belarus at the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest were arrested together with their parents, Volha and Juryj, back in October 2022, the Belarusian Council for Culture said. Authorities accused the family of participating in 2020 protests. Juryj Karakin was placed in home confinement after he had suffered a stroke in custody. All four will likely go on trial in late January.
Authorities released Uładzimir (Vaładar) Curpanaŭ who had served in full his two-year prison term for allegedly insulting a judge and evading the restricted freedom sentence, MAYDAY.TEAM reported.
Criminal proceedings
The Brest Regional Court sentenced Darja Łosik, wife of imprisoned journalist Ihar Łosik, to two years in prison for giving an interview to Belsat TV deemed extremist in Belarus, BPN reported.
A court in Minsk sentenced Viktar Savaševič to 11 years in prison on charges of creating and running a Telegram channel that disclosed personal data of public officials, Viasna reported.
Authorities sentenced former MTBank employees Ina Hlinskaja and her daughter Valeryja Hlinskaja to seven and six and a half years in prison, respectively. Human rights defenders consider both women political prisoners. Their persecution is related to Chernaya Kniga Belarusi (Eng.: Black Book of Belarus), an online project exposing the identities of security officers who mistreated and brutalized peaceful protesters.
A court in Viciebsk sentenced Dzianis Chaŭchanaŭ to 14 months in prison for online comments allegedly insulting Alaksandr Łukašenka, Viasna said.
Pavieł Śvirbutovič, owner of the Hrodna pet hotel, and Hrodna resident Anatol Lavonik were given two and a half years in prison each for online comments and liking social media posts that allegedly insulted Łukašenka.
A court in Mahiloŭ sentenced Aksana Jurjeva to 18 months in prison for Facebook posts, MAYDAY.TEAM reported.
Alena Klimovič, will serve two and a half years of restricted freedom in home confinement for participating in protests, Viasna said.
Authorities sentenced singer Meryjem Hierasimienka to two years of restricted freedom in home confinement for performing a pro-Ukraine song in a Minsk bar in August 2022, BPN reported. Andrej Žuk and his wife Maryja Žuk, the bar owners, will go on trial on January 31 on charges of participating in protests, Viasna said.
Uładzisłaŭ Mazuraŭ and Illa Kavaloŭ went on trial in the Mahiloŭ region on charges of abusing state flag, Viasna reported.
Trials
Authorities jailed Pavieł Sevaśćjan for 10 days for his Facebook posts, Hazieta Słonimskaja reported.
Pavieł Pialuch from Homiel was jailed for 15 days on charges of unauthorized picketing and promoting extremism, activist Illa Mironaŭ reported.
New criminal cases
Authorities accused Aksana Zareckaja, a member of the Coordinating Council for Political Crisis Settlement, of participating in protests and placed her in pre-trial detention in Minsk, Viasna said. She might go on trial in February together with marketing and advertising specialist Bahdan Karaviec.
Theology scholar and German language teacher Andrej Pukanaŭ is accused of insulting Łukašenka, Flagshtok reported.
A 26-year-old Orša resident was tried for filming military equipment movements and sharing the videos with opposition Telegram channels, pro-government sources said.
Other instances of persecution
Authorities deported to Russia journalist Yekaterina Yanshina, linked to the Memorial human rights organization, after she had served 15 days in jail, Memorial’s Telegram channel said. She was accused of disorderly conduct after covering the trial of Viasna’s leaders in Minsk on January 5.
The Supreme Court upheld the four-year prison sentence for Mikałaj Bredzieleŭ, spokesman for the Austria-owned A1 telecommunications company, BPN reported. Authorities convicted him of funding an extremist group and abusing power.
The Supreme Court also upheld the 11-year prison term given to Alaksiej Šyškaviec convicted on charges of terrorism and participation in an armed conflict abroad, MAYDAY.TEAM reported. Authorities accused him of receiving instructions to block the railroad tracks and use Molotov cocktails. Human rights groups consider him a political prisoner.
Extremist list updates
The Committee for State Security (KGB) blacklisted The Tor Band from Rahačoŭ, Homiel region, as an extremist group, BPN reported. Musicians Jaŭhien Burło, Andrej Jaremčyk, Dźmitryj Hałavač and their wives have been held in custody since late October 2022 as authorities keep giving them consecutive 15-day jail terms for alleged minor offenses.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs added 39 people, including convicted BelaPAN journalists, to its list of “persons involved in extremist activity,” taking their total to 2,350 names, BPN reported.
As of January 21, human rights defenders identified at least 1,443 political prisoners.
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