Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution

February 3, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on February 2.

Several arrested, one released

Police arrested IT engineer Andrej Filipčyk for alleged promotion of “Latin script and hatred towards Russian-speaking social and cultural space,” a pro-government source said. He may face charges of participating in protests. Filipčyk administered Pa-biełarusku, a satirical Telegram channel.

Michaił Kaviaz, 27, from Čašniki, Viciebsk region, is under arrest for participation in 2020 protests and allegedly signing up for the opposition’s Pieramoha Plan, Naša Niva reported.

Authorities released Pavieł Pialuch after he had served 15 days in jail on charges of unauthorized picketing, volunteer Illa Mironaŭ said.

Trials

Authorities jailed animal rights activist Alena Mirašničenka from Orša, Viciebsk region, for 15 days, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported. The reason could have been her meeting discussing homeless animals with Orša residents.

A court in Homiel handed down a 15-day jail sentence on Dźmitryj Šaŭčenka after finding him guilty of distributing opposition content. Šaŭčenka had not been taken into custody prior to the trial and did not attend the hearing.

Criminal proceedings

The Minsk City Court sentenced lawyer Vital Brahiniec to eight years in a high-security penal colony, Viasna said. He was found guilty of forming an extremist group, calling for sanctions, inciting hatred and participating in protests. Human rights groups say these charges are politically motivated.

A court in Viciebsk sentenced Vasil Trocki to 14 months in prison for allegedly insulting judges and public officials on social media.

The Minsk Regional Court will try journalists Ściapan Puciła and Jan Rudzik on February 16 without the defendants being present, the Supreme Court said.

Authorities accuse them of forming an extremist group, staging mass riots, calling for the seizure of power and other crimes punishable by long prison sentences. The prosecutors also demanded that the accused pay 30 million rubels (some $11 million) for property damage. 

New criminal cases

Alena Hnaŭk, 65, currently serving a term of three and a half years on charges widely seen as politically motivated, was accused of disobeying the penal colony’s administration, Viasna said. She will be held at Homiel’s Penal Colony’s internal prison until February 24.

Other instances of persecution

Kanstancin Załatych, director of the newspaper Belorusy i Rynok, faces a number of serious criminal charges that have not been made public, the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) reported. Załatych has been in custody for eight and a half months. The case against him might be referred to court soon.

“Terrorist” list updates

The Committee for State Security (KGB) has added eight people to its register of individuals and entities allegedly involved in terrorist activity, including people convicted on politically-motivated charges and jailed trade unionists, BPN reported.

As of February 3, human rights defenders identified at least 1,433 political prisoners.