Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution

June 6, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on June 5 with new additions to the extremist register and more arrests for sharing opposition content.

Arrested and released

Police arrested Edward Vienski in Lida, Hrodna region, a pro-government source said. He may be facing charges of insulting Alaksandr Łukašenka and sharing opposition content.

Police raided a meat processing plant in Vaŭkavysk, Hrodna region, arresting over 15 employees, Naša Niva reported. Some of them were released after smartphone inspections yet some, including local resident Vasil Paŭlučenia, were accused of sharing content that authorities deem extremist.

Authorities released Aleh Harmazinski after he had served two years in prison on charges of insulting public officials and Łukašenka, the Viasna Human Rights Center said.

Połack State University lecturers Siarhiej Hłazyryn and Siarhiej Rykun were released after spending 15 and 13 days in jail, respectively, BPN reported. Authorities accused Hłazyryn of sharing opposition content but did not disclose charges against Rykun.

Authorities also released Andrej Husaraŭ, head of the Husaraŭ marketing agency, his Facebook page says. He was arrested on May 30 for allegedly sharing links to opposition content on his social media, but the exact charges and court ruling, if there was any, remain unknown.

Trials

Mahiloŭ businessman Uładzimir Tyčynski was jailed for 15 days for displaying a Ukrainian flag in his car, MAYDAY.TEAM reported.

A judge in Hłybokaje, Viciebsk region, jailed a woman for 10 days for reportedly sharing Viasna’s content. Authorities did not disclose her real name. She used the alias of Aliona Alionkina in her social media.

Criminal proceedings

A court in Brest sentenced Pavieł Petručenia, an IT professional and former employee of the interior ministry’s security department, to six years in prison, the Brest branch of Viasna reported. Authorities persecute him for sharing personal data of policemen with the opposition online project exposing the identities of those who mistreated and brutalized peaceful protesters in 2020. 

Alaksandr Łahuta, another IT professional, was given two and a half years of restricted freedom in an open-type correctional facility for online comments, Viasna said.

Halina Smirnova, Andrej Sinica and Alaksandr Leanenka will go on trial in Babrujsk, Mahiloŭ region, on June 15. Authorities persecute them for participation in protests, Viasna reported.

Other instances of persecution

Poet Dźmitryj Sarokin died at the police department in Lida, Hrodna region, under unclear circumstances, Mediazona reported. He had been arrested on politically-motivated charges before.

Belarus’ Investigators and Cyberpartisans hacktivist group found out about another death in custody more than two years ago, Belsat TV channel said. A certain Michaił Bokuć died at a police department in Minsk on December 8, 2020, the day after his arrest. Authorities reportedly launched an investigation but its results remain unknown.

Prison authorities placed jailed anarchist activist Alaksandr Franckievič in a punishment cell for 10 days, according to Viasna. Authorities sentenced him to 16 years and nine months in prison on charges widely seen as politically motivated.

Extremist list update

Belarusian security agencies added 22 people, political prisoners among them, to the list of “extremists,” says the updated interior ministry’s website. The label is usually attached to regime critics and protesters.

As of June 6, human rights defenders identified at least 1,513 political prisoners but the real number is considerably higher because many cases go undocumented. Opposition sources estimate their number at around 5,000.