Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution

July 10, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on July 8 and 9.

Trials

A district court sentenced a resident of Baranavičy, Brest region, to 18 months in prison for an insult to the head of state he allegedly wrote at a building entrance, the Viasna Human Rights Center reports. Judge Aksana Litvinčyk found Aleh Kardaš guilty of insulting Alaksandar Łukašenka and damaging the building.

Other incidents

The authorities put exiled activist Alaksandar Kabanaŭ on a wanted list for allegedly promoting extremism, according to his Facebook page.

Unofficial reports suggest that Viktar Babaryka, the jailed presidential hopeful whose whereabouts have been unknown for a long time, is in the internal prison of Navapołack’s Penal Colony No 1, Viciebsk region. The regime critic’s health is satisfactory, BelPol reported.

The authorities have convicted at least 19 people for sending money to solidarity foundations after the 2020 presidential election, on charges of financing terrorism or extremism, according to Viasna. They have sentenced 12 to three-six years in prison, and the results of the seven other trials remain unknown. At least 10 people charged with these offenses are in pre-trial detention.

Release

Prison administration has freed Alaksandar Šaŭcoŭ, a Greek Catholic priest in Połack, Viciebsk region, after he spent 45 days in jail, Chryścijanskaja Vizija reported. The authorities arrested him on May 25 and sentenced him to 15 and 30 days behind bars for posting “extremist” content and violating the procedure for holding mass events.

As of July 10, human rights defenders identified at least 1,492 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.