February 8, Pozirk. At least 55 people have been persecuted in Belarus for alleged high treason, the Viasna Human Rights Center reports.
The number includes people already convicted in person or in absentia as well as defendants and people arrested on this charge, which authorities are actively using to harass opponents.
The number of people jailed in politically-motivated cases involving high treason charges rose to 39 from 12 two years ago.
The real number may be higher as such cases are usually heard behind closed doors, as happened with investigative journalist Dzianis Ivašyn whose trial allegedly involved a discussion of state secrets.
Exiled Belarusians convicted of high treason in absentia have no access to the case files, human rights defender Pavieł Sapiełka said, noting violations of their right to defense and other constitutional rights.
Former BelaPAN CEO Andrej Alaksandraŭ and his wife Iryna Złobina are among those sentenced to lengthy prison terms on high treason charges. Rights groups consider them political prisoners, along with jailed BelaPAN editor in chief Iryna Leŭšyna and former CEO Dźmitryj Navažyłaŭ.
