Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution

July 4, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus between July 1 and 3 with new arrests and pressure on jailed opposition activists.

Arrests

Hrodna police arrested Alisa Dolnikava, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported. The reasons for the arrest and her current whereabouts remain unclear.

Trials

Authorities jailed catechist Uładzisłaŭ Bieładzied for 15 days for the third consecutive time for allegedly sharing links to opposition content with his family members, Chryścijanskaja Vizija said.

Ramuald Ułan, an independent newspaper publisher from Smarhoń, Hrodna region, was jailed for seven days. Authorities did not disclose the charges against him. In June he served a three-day jail term for sharing opposition content following his release from an open-type correctional facility where he served a restricted freedom term in a politically-motivated case.

Criminal proceedings

The Brest Regional Court sentenced athlete Dźmitryj Bielamuk to three years in prison on charges of inciting hatred, insulting Alaksandr Łukašenka and public officials, the Brest branch of Viasna reported. The judge also fined him 3,700 rubels (over 1,200).

Rejected appeals

On June 27, the Supreme Court rejected an appeal by Siarhiej Frančuk against his three-year prison sentence given on charges widely seen as politically motivated, Viasna reported. 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

Jailed opposition activist Palina Šarenda-Panasiuk, serving a similar prison term, was subjected to a psychiatric check-up, her husband Andrej Šarenda said on Facebook. Earlier, she filed an official request to renounce her citizenship in protest against torture in prison.

Jailed anarchist activist Ihar Alinievič spent almost a month in a punishment cell, the Pravo na Vosstaniye Telegram channel reported. Authorities sentenced him to 20 years in prison on charges widely believed to be politically motivated.

Andrej Sačeŭka, currently serving a six-year prison term, was placed in a punishment cell for 10 days for the second consecutive time, MAYDAY.TEAM reported. Prison authorities reportedly received an order to keep him isolated. Authorities persecuted Sačeŭka on charges of mass riots and inciting hatred. He might have a personality disorder.

As of July 4, human rights defenders identified at least 1,496 political prisoners but the real number is considerably higher because many cases go undocumented. Opposition sources estimate the number of political prisoners at around 5,000.