Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution

February 7, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on February 6.

Several arrested, one released

Police arrested Anastasija Šarkievič who ran the Narodnaja Vola newspaper’s Telegram channel, a pro-government source said. She may be accused of participating in 2020 protests.

Police also arrested a resident of Masty, Hrodna region, for an alleged attempt to join Belarusian volunteer Kastuś Kalinoŭski regiment fighting Russia in Ukraine, the interior ministry reported.

Taras Haponenka from Rečyca, Homiel region, is under arrest for pro-Ukraine comments following another hoax by Juryj Komar who is reportedly a police informer, Naša Niva said.

Authorities released Pavieł Drozd after he had served a three-and-a-half prison sentence in full, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported. He was convicted of breaking into the computer systems of the Minsk City Executive Committee in 2020.

Trials

Authorities jailed Dźmitryj Haŭrylin, a lead singer of the ethnic rock band Ban Žvirba, for 15 days, volunteer Illa Mironaŭ reported. Haŭrylin is due to be released on February 9. The charges against him remain unknown.

Criminal proceedings

The Minsk City Court sentenced businessman Hleb Hładkoŭski to five years in prison for online comments on the 2021 shootout involving an IT engineer and KGB officers, known as the “Zielcer case,” Viasna said. Human rights groups consider him a political prisoner.

A court in the Brest region sentenced Juryj Šylec to three months in jail for allegedly insulting an official, Viasna said. He was ordered to pay 250 rubels (about $93) in damages to the alleged victim.

Political analysts Valeryja Kaściuhova and Taćciana Kuzina went on trial at the Minsk City Court, the Belarusian Association of Journalists reported. They face a number of criminal charges, including plotting to seize power.

The same court will hear a case against Pavieł Biełavus, founder and owner of the Symbal.by store selling national-themed goods, on February 20, Viasna said. Charges against him include high treason, organizing protests, calls to harm national security and leading an extremist group.

New political prisoners

Belarusian human rights defenders declared 20 more people political prisoners. The new additions include politician Andrej Dźmitryjeŭ, prominent teacher Jaŭhien Liviant and members of his family, and Aksana Zareckaja, a member of the Coordinating Council of Political Crisis Settlement.

As of February 7, human rights defenders identified at least 1,450 political prisoners.