National Anti-Crisis Management declared extremist group

January 25, BPN. The Ministry of Internal Affairs has declared the National Anti-Crisis Management and the Belarusian Railway Workers’ Community extremist groups.

The list of extremist groups posted on the ministry’s website now has 111 entries.

Prosecutors have opened a criminal case against NAM head Pavieł Łatuška, a senior member of the opposition. His trial began on January 17 at the Minsk City Court without the defendant being present. The case also involves Belarusian opposition leader Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja, and Coordinating Council Presidium members Volha Kavalkova and Siarhiej Dyleŭski, and Cichanoŭskaja’s former campaign manager, Maryja Maroz.

The defendants are accused of 12 offenses, including high treason, conspiracy to seize power and forming the Coordinating Council extremist group.

The Railway Workers’ Community has some 10,000 subscribers on Telegram, 2,000 on Instagram, and 3,000 on VKontakte.

In January, KGB agents arrested the 15-year-old brother of an administrator of the Telegram account on suspicion of extortion.

Human rights activists say he spent three days in a detention facility in Minsk. His parents and his lawyer were not allowed to visit him. He was then sent to a mental health center, and is still held there. Authorities reportedly demand that the administrator should delete the account in exchange for their younger brother’s safety.