Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution

March 30, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on March 29.

Arrests

Police raided the 100 Ballov education center and arrested its head Taćciana Karniej, Radio Svaboda reported. The center’s founder Jaŭhien Liviant, his wife Julija, daughter Hanna, son-in-law Mikita Drozd as well as Alaksiej Ivanoŭ, a co-founder, remain in custody since December 2022 on suspicion of participation in protests.

Police also arrested eight history museum employees in Połack, Viciebsk region, including Tamara Džumantajeva and Ihar Bortnik, for sharing opposition content and social media comments, Naša Niva reported.

Minsk dentist Halina Sołtan and her husband, businessman Uładzimir Sołtan, were arrested for alleged participation in 2020 protests and running a local chat, Naša Niva reported.

Police arrested two bus drivers at the Belarusian-Polish border, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported. They operated the Gdańsk-Minsk route for a Polish company. Both are Belarusian nationals. Authorities have not disclosed their names and reasons for their arrest.

Police carried out mass arrests in Lachavičy, Brest region; Miory, Viciebsk region; and Akciabrski, Homiel region. Some of the arrested were charged with sharing opposition content.

Trials

A court in Minsk sentenced opposition politician Anatol Labiedźka’s son to 15 days in jail, BPN reported. Police accused him of using foul language.

New criminal cases

Authorities charged a foreign national residing in the Barysaŭ district, Minsk region, with abusing state symbols, Viasna reported. Police arrested him for tearing down four state flags.

Criminal proceedings

A court in Homiel sentenced singer and writer Alaksiej Iljinčyk, 61, to two and a half years in prison on charges of inciting hatred and insulting Alaksandr Łukašenka, the Homiel branch of Viasna reported.

Russian national Ilya Shakirov, a software engineer from Minsk, was given two years in prison for online comments allegedly threatening violence toward police officers, Viasna said.

The prosecutor demanded 19 years in prison for former presidential hopeful Valer Capkała. The trial opened in Minsk on March 1 without the defendant being present as Capkała and his family had fled Belarus. Authorities accuse him on nine criminal charges, including creating, heading and funding an extremist group.

A court in the Brest region started hearing a case against Tamara Karavaj from Łuniniec for social media comments allegedly libeling Łukašenka.

Siarhiej Kabzienka, a former political prisoner, will go on trial in Minsk on March 30 for comments in a Telegram chat. He was convicted earlier over his role in protests.

On March 31, the Minsk City Court will start hearing a case against Rusłan Zavadzič, an IT professional and a former volunteer with Achova Ptušak Backaŭščyny, an outlawed environmental group. Authorities accuse him of financing extremist activities.

Jailed vlogger Uładzimir Cyhanovič, 42, will face a new trial on April 7 for allegedly disobeying prison authorities. He is currently serving a 15-year prison term on charges widely seen as politically motivated.

Other instances of persecution

Prosecutor Alaksandr Karol appealed the ruling by the Leninski District Court of Minsk that sentenced the Nobel Peace Prize winner and Viasna’s founder Aleś Bialacki to 10 years in prison and his associates, from nine to seven years, while the prosecutor demanded longer prison terms.

Political prisoner Michaił Zubkoŭ went on a dry hunger strike in protest against being held in a punishment cell. He is currently serving a three-year prison term on charges of violence against a policeman, Radio Svaboda reported.

Terrorist list update

The Committee for State Security (KGB) blacklisted four more people as “persons involved in terrorist activities,” BPN reported. The additions feature people convicted or charged in politically-motivated cases. The KGB’s terrorist list has currently a total of 1,045 entries, with 297 being Belarusians. 

Extremist content updates

Authorities blacklisted several Telegram channels as extremist content, including channels linked to Belarusians abroad and prominent opposition politician Zianon Paźniak, Viasna reported.

As of March 30, human rights defenders identified at least 1,466 political prisoners.