Reprisals: former hospice director faces serious charges

March 13, Pozirk. New instances of politically-motivated persecution were reported on March 12, including arrests, lengthy prison sentences and a criminal case against a former Hrodna hospice director who had fled abroad.

The Investigative Committee brought seven charges against Volha Vialička, ex-director of the Hrodna Children’s Hospice currently based abroad, Pozirk reported.

She is accused of inciting social hatred, establishing an illegal association, mishandling personal data, larceny, inciting to riot and facilitating extremism.

Trials

Alieh Dziahciarenka was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison at the Homiel Regional Court on March 7 for alleged association with an extremist group and financing terrorism, the local branch of the Viasna Human Rights Center reported.

In Hrodna, a district judge imposed a three-year restricted freedom sentence on Siarhiej and Taćciana Čyž on February 26 for demonstrating in August 2020 with a sign that allegedly libeled Alaksandar Łukašenka, Viasna reported. Siarhiej was ordered to serve his sentence at an open-type correctional institution, while Taćciana is to serve her term in home confinement.

Arrests

A Telegram channel linked to police reported the arrest of an apparel store manager for allegedly abusing Łukašenka and security officers in social media posts and sharing pictures of Russian military equipment with the Nexta media company, Viasna reported.

Police in Mahiloŭ arrested Juruj Brukviankoŭ, 40, on February 29 over reposts of content branded extremist, MAYDAY.TEAM reported.

Police in Minsk arrested Hretta Dalinkievič on suspicion that she took part in postelection protests and online events involving Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja and administered the Telegram chat of Minsk’s Nesterka neighborhood, Naša Niva reported.

Police arrested a man in Kryčaŭ, Mahiloŭ region, for sharing banned content on Odnoklassniki and allegedly insulting Łukašenka, MAYDAY.TEAM reported.

Police arrested several Belarusian State University students for unknown reasons, said the university’s underground trade union.

Extremism list update

Authorities have added a dozen of social media accounts and pages to the list of extremist content, as well as Avtodaydzhest, an auto business advertising monthly.

On the evening of March 12, human rights defenders identified at least 1,416 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.

Ten newly-designated political prisoners:

• Dzianis Kraśko (serving three years in prison)
• Zmicier Ščerbin (one year)
• Jaŭhien Kisłoŭ (five years)
• Kaciaryna Novikava (waiting for trial)
• Anton Čeramnych (waiting for trial)
• Raman Hałuza (waiting for trial on high-treason charges)
• Andriy Shmay (a Ukrainian accused of spying)
• Natalya Zakharenko (a Ukrainian accused of spying)
• Ivan Suchamieraŭ (tried behind closed doors on ten charges)
• Alaksej Kulikoŭ (tried behind closed doors on terrorism charges)