Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution

April 6, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on April 5.

Arrested and released

Homiel police arrested cab driver Raman Arciomienka for reacting to opposition social media posts, Flagshtok reported. He is currently held in pre-trial detention but there is no information about charges against him.

Police also arrested Alina Halinskaja, 23, Mark Lebianok, 20, Ihar Lisoŭski, 67, and five other Homiel residents during a raid, Naša Niva reported. They may be persecuted for following opposition Telegram channels.

Authorities released Fiodar Čarankoŭ after he had served 15 days in jail after a police raid at his home on March 22, Viasna said. His wife Kryścina Čarankova is currently serving a two-and-a-half-year prison term for online comments.

Trials

Authorities jailed lawyer Arciom Siemjanaŭ for another 15 days for allegedly disobeying police orders, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported. He had already served 15 days on similar charges. Siemjanaŭ was a defense attorney in several high-profile politically-motivated cases.

New criminal cases

Authorities accused Jaŭhien Liviant and Alaksiej Ivanoŭ, co-founders of 100 Ballov education center, of tax evasion, the State Control Committee said. A total of eight persons are defendants in the criminal case, including Liviant’s wife Julija, daughter Hanna, and son-in-law Mikita Drozd, in custody since December 2022. They are charged with participation in protests. Human rights groups consider them political prisoners. Tacciana Karniej, the center’s head, was arrested on March 29.

Vadzim Pacenka and Russian national Andrei Kulikov face charges of planning terrorist acts in Hrodna, ONT reported. Authorities say they allegedly received instructions from Ukrainian security services.

Authorities charged Andrey Shmay, a native of Chernihiv, Ukraine, with undercover activities. Police arrested him in February and accused him of passing information to his brother, an officer in the Ukrainian army.

Criminal proceedings

The Minsk Regional Court sentenced Arciom Zubrakoŭ to five years in prison on charges of inciting hatred and illegal handling of personal data, Viasna reported. Zubrakoŭ worked for Biełahra, an agricultural equipment distribution company.

A court in Minsk sentenced Kaciaryna Broŭka, a former employee at the state-run TV company, to three years of restricted freedom in home confinement over 2020 protests.

The prosecutor requested a two-year prison sentence for former presidential hopeful Andrej Dźmitryjeŭ, accused of participating in protests, the state media reported. The verdict is expected on April 6.

Other instances of persecution

Authorities disclosed the names of several people arrested over the February 26 drone attack on the Russian military aircraft at the Mačuliščy military airfield, Minsk region, Naša Niva reported. IT worker Dźmitryj Mastavy, Minsk designer Dzianis Sakałoŭ, Łarysa Kučynskaja, Andrej Sciapurka and his parents allegedly assisted the main suspect in the case, Ukrainian national Nikolay Shvets (Mykola Shveć), police said. A total of 30 people are in custody on terrorism charges in this case and may face the death penalty if convicted.

New political prisoners

Belarusian human rights groups added 17 people to their list of political prisoners, Viasna reported. They have been charged or convicted for insulting Alaksandr Łukašenka, police officers and judges, desecrating state symbols, and otherwise exercising freedom of opinion.

As of April 6, human rights defenders identified at least 1,486 political prisoners.