Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution

July 21, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on July 20.

Arrests

Law enforcers in Hrodna arrested Kirył Kuryła for participating in protests in 2020 and an online remark, a pro-government media outlet and Sudy, Zaderzhaniya. Grodno i Oblast reported. It is unclear whether investigators are pressing criminal charges against him.

Police in Dziaržynsk, Minsk region, arrested artist Siarhiej Kuleša for unknown reasons, Viasna reported.

Trials

A court in Hłubokaje, Viciebsk region, on June 13 sentenced Źmicier Rudak, a rescuer based in the village of Padśville, to 15 days in jail for sharing an “extremist” media outlet’s article on social media, Viasna Viciebsk reports. He was fired after he served his sentence.

A district court in Minsk sentenced a former state television employee and his wife to three years of restricted freedom, a type of home confinement, for taking part in protests against the government, STV reported. Photographer and writer Źmicier Bajarovič, a former STV employee, and Valeryja Bajarovič were convicted of public order offenses.

The Dziaržynski District Court sentenced Fanipal resident Ładaryja Kuźniacova to one year of restricted freedom for taking part in protests in August 2020, Viasna said.

The Hrodna Regional Court delayed its verdict for a journalist and a lawyer accused of extremism, Novy Čas reported. The prosecutor demanded six-year prison terms for Pavieł Mažejka and Julija Jurhilevič, who both denied the charges. The trial is set to resume on July 26.

The Minsk City Court opened a trial for Juryj Adamaŭ, a co-founder of Pamyłka, a popular science zine, Viasna reported. He was arrested in early March and charged with extremist financing over donations for victims of political persecution.

The Homiel Regional Court opened a trial for businessman Juryj Taškinaŭ, who allegedly donated to the BySol Foundation and commented about the war in Ukraine. He is accused of inciting hatred and funding “extremists.”

Other incidents

The former heads of Tut.by, a popular news website that was shut down by the government, will have their sentences reviewed by the Supreme Court at a closed door session on July 31. Maryna Zołatava and Ludmiła Čekina were convicted in March of tax evasion, inciting hatred and threatening national security and received 12-year prison terms.

On July 21, the Supreme Court will hear appeals by three political prisoners, Mikałaj Kulašoŭ, Anita Bakunovič and Jahor Kurzin, Viasna reported.

Authorities extended the term of an anarchist activist’s detention in a punishment cell at Ivacevičy’s Penal Colony No 5 in the Brest region, Viasna reported. Alaksandar Franckievič has been held in the cell since March 28.

The administration of Mahiloŭ’s Prison No 4 placed political prisoner Jaŭhien Afnahiel, coordinator of the European Belarus campaign, in solitary confinement until July 23, Viasna reported. He was sentenced to seven years in a medium security penal colony in May 2021, supposedly for training protesters. He was serving his sentence at Navapołack’s Penal Colony No 1 in the Viciebsk region until a judge sent him to the prison in April.

Human rights defenders identified at least 1,474 political prisoners as of now, but the real number is considerably higher because many cases go undocumented. Opposition sources estimate the number of political prisoners at around 5,000.