Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution

April 1, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on March 31.

Arrested and released

Police arrested Viktoryja Varaksina in Kobryn, Brest region, for allegedly administering a local Telegram chat and participating in the 2020 protests, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported.

Police also arrested Dźmitryj Papkoŭ, Ihar Čarnavusaŭ, Kanstancin Hvoździeŭ and Uładzimir Kamiennoŭ in Homiel, Naša Niva reported. Authorities described all four as a “sleeper cell of extremists” with ties to Belarusians fighting Russia in Ukraine but have not disclosed the exact charges against them.

Minsk police arrested a certain Ignat R., 29, and charged him with a minor offense, a pro-government source said. He may face criminal charges for alleged “ties with the special services of Ukraine and Poland.”

Authorities released opposition activist Uładzimir Niapomniaščych, 70, after he had served two and a half years in prison for allegedly insulting and threatening a public official with violence, politician Anatol Labiedźka said on Facebook.

Trials

Authorities jailed photographer Ihar Suprunionak, Połack museum worker Alena Chodzikava and her colleagues Kaściučenka and Šybko (first names unknown) for 15 days, BPN reported. Museum researcher Ihar Bortnik was jailed for 10 days. Sources say they are persecuted for sharing opposition content.

New criminal cases

Authorities transferred bodybuilder Alaksandr Šarabajka into a pre-trial detention center in Viciebsk after he had served 10 days in jail, Viasna reported. He may be charged with insulting Alaksandr Łukašenka.

Criminal proceedings

A court in Minsk sentenced Maksim Sielaźnioŭ, a defendant in a police car bombing case, to 15 years in prison. The car was reportedly attacked in early January near Minsk’s Centralny district police department. As part of the same case, police also arrested Dźmitryj Marcinievič for failing to report the crime.

Vital Čarnavusaŭ, an IT specialist, was tried for donating to opposition initiatives, but authorities have not disclosed the ruling.

The Minsk City Court started hearing a case against Rusłan Zavadzič, an IT professional and a former volunteer with Achova Ptušak Backaŭščyny, an outlawed environmental group. Authorities persecute him for donating $75 to the opposition’s ByHelp initiative and former presidential hopeful Valer Capkała.

Vadzim Niachaj from Babrujsk, Mahiloŭ region, will go on trial on April 4 on charges of insulting Łukašenka and calling for protests.

A court in Homiel will hear a new case against jailed opposition activist Alena Hnaŭk, 66, who is accused of disobeying prison authorities. She is currently serving a three-and-a-half-year prison term on charges widely seen as politically-motivated.

Other instances of persecution

The Supreme Court reduced Iryna Haračkina’s six-year prison sentence by one month on appeal, BPN reported. She was convicted in the high-profile “Aŭtuchovič case” with prison sentences ranging from two and a half to 25 years. Human rights groups declared all 12 defendants political prisoners.

Authorities transferred anarchist activist Mikita Jemialjanaŭ from Penal Colony No 11 in Vaŭkavysk, Hrodna region, to Prison No 1 in Hrodna, the AChK Belarus Telegram channel with links to anarchist groups reported. In early 2020, authorities sentenced him to four years in prison over alleged paint and Molotov cocktail attacks on a court building and Minsk’s Detention Center No.1. The activist repeatedly went on hunger strikes in custody protesting pressure from prison administration.

Authorities placed imprisoned Jaŭhien Visłavuch in Penal Colony No 1 in Navapołack, Viciebsk region, the Homiel branch of Viasna said. He is currently serving a three-and-a-half-year term for allegedly inciting hatred, illegal handling of personal data, and insulting public officials.

Extremist list updates

The Interior Ministry added 41 names to its list of “persons involved in extremist activities,” taking the total to 2.637, BPN reported. Additions include defense analyst Jahor Lebiadok, sentenced to five years in prison for allegedly promoting extremism, and bloggers Kaciaryna and Siarhiej Čareška, convicted over 2020 protests.

As of April 1, human rights defenders identified at least 1,474 political prisoners.