Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution

July 13, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on July 12.

Arrests

On June 1, law enforcers used “special equipment and physical force” to detain Jaŭhien Pielechaty at his workplace, Viasna Brest reported. They took him out of an office in handcuffs and with a bag on his head. He is being held in pre-trial detention in Baranavičy, Brest region. Authorities charged him with insulting the head of state and inciting hatred with his online remarks.

On July 7, three people aged 16 and 17 tore two official flags from building walls in Minsk, the Investigative Committee said. They also allegedly damaged a car, a rental bicycle and other property. The teens have been detained and charged with desecrating state symbols.

Trials

Mikałaj Vasilevič, a former coach of the Belarusian national biathlon team, will go on trial today for financing alleged terrorist activities, Viasna said. On June 6, he was sentenced to six years in prison for financing an extremist group.

Radyjo Svaboda reported details of the ongoing trial of journalist Pavał Mažejka and lawyer Julija Jurhilevič. Investigators claim, among other things, that Jurhilevič informed Mažejka that she had been disbarred and that artist Aleś Puškin had been sentenced. He then allegedly posted this information to the website of Belsat TV, a station labeled “extremist” by Belarusian authorities. The defendants deny any wrongdoing. The dissident artist died serving a five-year prison sentence two days ago.

Extremism lists

On July 7, the interior ministry has designated the community Karniki Maładziečna on an encrypted messaging app as an extremist group, according to an updated list on the ministry’s website. The group has not been active since April 2022. Separately, it blacklisted the Telegram account Oppozitsiya and the Telegram bot Narodny Mstitel.

Other incidents

An investigation against opposition politician Anatol Labiedźka’s son Arciom Labiedźka, suspected of funding an extremist group, has been completed. Anatol said the case is to be sent to court soon, according to Narodnaya Volya.

The justice ministry refused to re-register the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada), citing non-compliance with a new piece of legislation on party politics, Viasna said.

The Committee for State Security (KGB) barred Justyna Prus, a journalist who worked for the Polish Press Agency (PAP) in Belarus, from entering the country for five years without any explanation.

Law enforcers trashed the apartment of exiled TV host Dzianis Dudzinski, according to pro-government sources. They report that a criminal case has been opened against Dudzinski and that officers have searched his two apartments to find “caches and other signs of assistance to terrorists.”

The State Control Committee said it detected 75 crimes involving extremism funding in the first six months.

As of July 13, human rights defenders identified at least 1,483 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.