Human rights groups label 17 as political prisoners

April 5, BPN. Belarusian human rights organizations have declared 17 people political prisoners, the Viasna Human Rights Center said on its website on April 5.

They are: Alaksiej Ilinčyk, Siarhiej Tušynski, Viačasłaŭ Aŭčuk, Dźmitryj Ančukoŭ, Vital Ryžanski, Uładzimir Turnoŭ, Stanisłaŭ Dźmitruk, Dźmitryj Makarkoŭ, Siarhiej Kušnaroŭ, Dźmitryj Łahun, Pavieł Dubaŭ, Ihar Šumiłaŭ, Alaksandr Šarabajka, Dźmitryj Ivanoŭ, Alaksiej Azarka, Dźmitryj Hierasimovič, and Viačasłaŭ Kobryn.

They were jailed for insulting Alaksandr Łukašenka, police officers and judges, desecrating state symbols, and otherwise exercising freedom of opinion, the declaration reads.

It was signed by Viasna, Belarusian PEN, Pravavaja Inicyjatyva, Lawtrend, the Office for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Belarusian Association of Journalists, the Barys Zvozskaŭ Human Rights House and the Belarusian Helsinki Committee.

The organizations demanded that these and other politcal prisoners should be freed.

They also called on the Belarusian authorities to “take measures aimed at decriminalizing defamation and abolishing the Criminal Code articles that impose liability for insulting the state, state symbols and officials.”

A total of 1,489 political prisoners have been registered in Belarus. The number stands at a record high, but the real figure must be even higher because, according to activists, some political detainees cannot contact them, or do not want to for fear of repercussions.