Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution

May 3, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on May 2. People faced persecution over online comments, sharing opposition content and accusations linked to 2020 protests.

Arrested and released

Police arrested businessman Jahor Daševič, 28, in Pinsk, Brest region, for antiwar social media comments critical of the Belarusian authorities, Naša Niva reported.

At least six men were arrested in the Homiel region, among them DJ Pavieł Dankoŭ and photographer Pavieł Bułanaŭ. Authorities accuse them of writing online comments with appeals to join protests, likely dating back to 2020, donating money to the BySol solidarity fund, and sharing opposition content.

Authorities released former Belarusian language teacher Ema Sćepulonak after she had served two years in prison for an online comment, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported.

Trials

Mikałaj Vitkoŭski from Naroŭla, Homiel region, has served 10 days in jail for sharing opposition content and allegedly disobeying police officers, the Homiel branch of Viasna reported. In 2020, he had been persecuted for alleged politics-related minor offenses.

Criminal proceedings

A court in the Dziaržynsk district, Minsk region, sentenced Maksim Pałujančyk from Fanipal to two and a half years of restricted freedom in home confinement for participating in a protest rally in August 2020, Viasna said.

Lawyer Anastasija Łazarenka went on trial in Minsk on charges of inciting hatred, illegal handling of personal data and participating in protests. She cannot consult her defense attorney during the proceedings because he will testify as a witness.

Artist Hienadź Drazdoŭ, 64, is on trial at the same court, its electronic schedule says. Authorities accuse him of promoting extremism and a public disorder offense.

Volha Hładkaja went on trial at a district court in Minsk on charges of participating in protests. She used to work as a manager at the Belarus 2 state-run TV channel but resigned in September 2020. 

Jailed Siarhiej Frančuk will go on a new trial in Babrujsk, Mahiloŭ region, on May 13 for allegedly insulting Alaksandr Łukašenka. On April 28, he was given a three-year prison term over 2020 protests and online comments. Frančuk is a cousin of Vadzim Kabančuk, a deputy commander of the Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment formed of Belarusian volunteers in Ukraine in March 2022.

Other instances of persecution

Family members of jailed former presidential hopeful Viktar Babaryka still have no information on his whereabouts or health condition following his hospitalization with signs of beating on April 25, the politician’s team said. The banker-turned-politician is currently serving a 14-year prison term.

Authorities transferred jailed Viasna leaders Aleś Bialacki, Valancin Stefanovič and Uładzimir Łabkovič, to the Mahiloŭ region’s penal colonies after rejecting their appeals, Viasna said. Human rights defenders had been convicted of financing protests in Belarus and smuggling cash for their work. Bialacki, Viasna’s founder and a Nobel Peace Prize winner, will be serving his 10-year prison term in Horki.

Moscow’s Presnensky District Court will hear Sofia Sapega’s case, TASS reported. On April 14, Belarusian authorities granted Sapega’s petition to be extradited to serve her six-year sentence in Russia. Sapega, a Russian national and an alleged administrator of a Belarusian opposition channel on Telegram, was convicted of inciting hatred and illegal handling of personal data.

Jailed Barys Kučynski, 73, from Słonim, Hrodna region, was placed in Penal Colony No 2 in Babrujsk, Mahiloŭ region. In January, authorities toughened his sentence, replacing three years of restricted freedom in home confinement with two years in prison. Kučynski is persecuted for a social media post about a police officer.

Jailed Artur Čarniaŭski may also face a tougher punishment after another trial on charges of insulting Łukašenka, Haradzienskaja Pravaabarona said. In 2022, he was given two years of restricted freedom in an open-type correctional facility for insulting a public official.

Extremist content updates

Authorities blacklisted Viasna’s images on the Flickr photo hosting service, the viasnabrest Instagram account as well as a number of Telegram channels and chats as extremist content.

 As of May 3, human rights defenders identified at least 1,496 political prisoners.