Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution

February 17, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on February 16.

Arrests

Police placed an Intex Press journalist from Baranavičy, Brest region, in custody for 72 hours on unknown charges, Intex Press reported. One day earlier, law enforcers raided the Intex Press office, seizing equipment over alleged YouTube posts.

Police also arrested Pavieł Durejka accused of administering a local opposition Telegram chat in Ružany, Brest region, Naša Niva reported.

A resident of Pružany, Brest region, is under arrest for talking about Alaksandr Łukašenka’s role in Russia’s war on Ukraine in a Telegram chat with a police informant Ihar Kaniušyk, the Brest branch of the Viasna Human Rights Center reported.

Trials

Authorities jailed Kanstancin Jeŭtušenka from Navapołatsk, Viciebsk region, for 15 days on charges of unauthorized picketing, Viasna said. The Palimir chemical plant fired him later.

Mikałaj Mašarski from Rasony, Viciebsk region, was given 25 days in jail, according to Viasna.

Criminal proceedings

A court in Homiel sentenced Pavieł Rakoca to 18 months in prison for allegedly inciting hatred and insulting Łukašenka, Viasna said. Human rights defenders think that he might be persecuted over his antiwar comments in social media.

A court in Viciebsk sentenced prominent surgeon Alaksiej Alaksiejčyk to two and a half years in prison on charges of calling for sanctions.

The Minsk Regional Court started hearing a case against journalist Raman Pratasievič, BPN reported. Ściapan Puciła, Nexta media project founder, and journalist Jan Rudzik, are tried in absentia as a part of the same case. 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.

A court in Minsk started hearing a case against Dźmitryj Plešavenia, Ludmiła Cybulskaja, Juryj Dzikovič and Siarhiej Laŭko accused of participating in protests, Viasna said. Police arrested them in November 2022 over a picture from a protest rally.

The Hrodna Regional Court will start hearing a case against former police inspector Andrej Šklar on February 20. He is charged with high treason and disclosing data of a preliminary investigation, a Telegram channel monitoring politically-motivated persecution in Hrodna and the Hrodna region said.

Ludmiła Kohan, 68, will go on trial in Brest on February 21 over protest graffiti, the Brest branch of Viasna reported. Anatol Puhač, 28, will go on trial on the same day in Baranavičy, Brest region, for allegedly insulting Łukašenka, Viasna said. Puhač has cancer and returned to Belarus for medical tests.

Appeals

The Supreme Court upheld the five-year prison sentence against Anastasija Kuchto convicted of participating in protests and establishing an extremist group, Viasna said.

Other instances of persecution

The Committee for State Security (KGB) has been threatening people who had made donations over Facebook in 2020-2021 with criminal charges and is extorting money from them, Viasna said.

Political prisoners

Authorities transferred jailed opposition activist Pavieł Vinahradaŭ to Penal Colony No. 11 in Vaŭkavysk after he completed his tuberculosis treatment at Penal Colony No 12 in Orša, Viciebsk region, his wife Sviatłana said on Facebook. Vinahradaŭ is currently serving a five-year prison term on charges widely seen as politically motivated.

Human rights defenders have added 15 more people to the political prisoners’ list, including those convicted over protests and on charges of insulting Łukašenka, Viasna reported.

As of February 17, human rights defenders identified at least 1,445 political prisoners.