Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution
May 20, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on May 19 with participation in protests and writing critical comments being the most common charges.
Arrests
Police summoned about ten train drivers in Baranavičy, Brest region, and persecuted some of them for online comments, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported. Those charged were reportedly fired.
Mikałaj Mielnik from Minsk is under arrest and faces criminal charges for writing anti-war comments and participating in protests, a pro-government source said.
Police also arrested an IT engineer upon his return to Belarus from Poland and filed criminal charges for online comments.
Criminal proceedings
Jaŭhien Liviant, a prominent tutor and co-founder of 100 Ballov education center, went on trial at the Maskoŭski District Court in Minsk, BPN reported. Authorities accuse him, his wife Julija, daughter Hanna, son-in-law Mikita Drozd, and business partner Alaksiej Ivanoŭ of participating in protests.
The Brest Regional Court sentenced Alaksandr Hurnik, 42, to five years in prison for allegedly participating in protests, creating an extremist group and insulting Alaksandr Łukašenka, Viasna reported.
The Minsk City Court rejected the appeals by Aksana Zareckaja, a member of the Coordinating Council for Political Crisis Settlement, and advertising specialist Bahdan Karaviec, the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) reported. In March they were sentenced to 18 months and two years in prison, respectively, in connection with peaceful post-election protests.
Athlete Złata Filipienka, 20, will go on trial in Minsk on May 30, Viasna reported. Authorities accuse her of participating in protests.
Trials
Surgeon Michaił Pačkoŭski and urologist Pavieł Stelmakoŭ from the Navapołack city hospital in the Viciebsk region were jailed for 15 days, the Belye Chalaty (White Coats) initiative reported. Authorities also jailed paramedic Natalla Piervianionak and head of the gynecology department Iryna Vasiljeva for 10 days and fined ultrasound doctor Ala Stalmakova 3,700 rubels (over $1,260).
New political prisoners
Belarusian human rights groups declared 28 people, including 16 women, accused or convicted of public order offenses, as political prisoners, says a joint statement on Viasna’s website.
Terrorist list updates
The Committee for State Security (KGB) updated its list of “persons involved in terrorist activities,” BPN reported. A mother and daughter sentenced to prison terms for sharing data with an opposition project are among the additions.
Other instances of persecution
On May 18, authorities inspected the open-type correctional facility No 55 in Minsk, Viasna reported noting that at least one inmate was placed into custody.
Jailed anarchist activist Dźmitryj Duboŭski, currently serving a 20-year term in the Viciebsk region, was transferred to a closed prison after two months in a punishment cell.
There has been no news from jailed Viasna’s leader and Nobel Prize winner Aleś Bialacki for 25 days, BPN reported. In early March, a court in Minsk sentenced him to 10 years in prison on charges widely seen as politically motivated.
As of May 20, human rights defenders identified at least 1,525 political prisoners.
- SocietyBySol raises nearly €37,000 for recently freed dissidentsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsOpposition politician Viačorka looking forward to establishment of Belarus-Ukraine coordinating groupThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsCichanoŭskaja leaves for New York to take part in UN eventsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Security, SocietyParticipants at Belarusian-Ukrainian forum in Kyiv vow to investigate transfers of Ukrainian children to BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityUkraine will probably deal with Belarus-based relay systems for Russian drone attacks in non-public way, envoy saysThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy, PoliticsCichanoŭskaja welcomes new US sanctions against RussiaThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsTen of 25 deported political prisoners move from Lithuania to PolandThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecuritySwitzerland aligns itself with EU’s April package of sanctions against BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyŁukašenka threatens officials with prison for failing to pull flax properlyThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy, SecurityEconomy ministry promises help to Belarusian businesses affected by Wildberries warehouse fires in RussiaThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityIrregular migrants return to Lithuanian border after US envoy leaves VilniusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Interior ministry labels 11 people as “extremists”The material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- EconomyMinsk, Minsk region account for half of GDP since JanuaryThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityBelarus, Azerbaijan reaffirm intentions to expand military tiesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- SocietyExpert: support for Belarusian independent media to boost regional securityThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyPolish border guards arrest harvester driver suspected of cigarette smugglingThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- PoliticsWashington lifts sanctions on Biełlesbumpram, ŁakafarbaThe material is available only to POZIRK+



