Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution

February 13, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on February 11 and 12.

Arrests

Police arrested freelance cameraman Viačasłaŭ Łazaraŭ in Viciebsk on February 9, the Belarusian Association of Journalists reported. Two days later, he was taken to a temporary detention facility. It is unclear whether he has been charged.

Criminal proceedings

Authorities sentenced Alaksiej Kirejeŭ to two years in prison over 2020 protests, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported. Human rights groups consider him a political prisoner.

A court will hear an appeal by Vital Mielnik on March 3. He was sentenced to 16 years in a high-security prison for an alleged act of sabotage carried out in protest against Russia’s assault on Ukraine.

New criminal cases

Dzianis Vorazaŭ, Viačasłaŭ Panciušenka, Volha Cierach, Uładzimir Łavor, Kaciaryna Zareckaja, Anton Jakavuk and Volha Šeŭčyk will go on trial on two extremism-related criminal charges, Viasna said. Police arrested them in November 2022 for hanging out a white-red-white flag and the Ukrainian flag in Minsk.

Detention conditions

Anarchist activist Jaŭhien Rubaška, currently serving a five-year prison term at Penal Colony N2 in Babrujsk, was placed in an internal prison for a month, Viasna said.

Dźmitryj Ivaškoŭ, an activist of Sviatłana Cichanoŭskaja’s presidential campaign in 2020, was transferred from a penal colony to Prison No 4 in Mahiloŭ, Viasna said. Authorities sentenced him to six years in prison on charges widely seen as politically motivated.

As of February 13, human rights defenders identified at least 1,441 political prisoners.