Seventeen labeled as political prisoners

July 5, Pozirk. Belarusian human rights groups have designated 17 more people as political prisoners, according to a joint statement on the Viasna Human Rights Center website. Their charges ranged from violent disorder to insulting officials and defaming the head of state.
The status was granted to Dźmitryj Puzikaŭ (six months in a penal colony), Darja Zajac (a year in a penal colony) and Valeryja Drahun (a year in a penal colony).
The groups also named Dzianis Siemianichin (a year in a penal colony), Andrej Karaloŭ (two years in a penal colony), Alena Dubroŭskaja (a year and a half in a penal colony) and Juryj Jurčuk (an unknown period in an open-type corrective institution).
The others were Alena Karpienka (a year and a half in a penal colony), Ivan Dziarnovič (four years in a penal colony) and Taćciana Makiejeva (taken into custody).
The human rights defenders also designated several people sent to a psychiatric hospital for compulsory treatment for alleged defamation: former film director Rusłan Zholič, Dźmitryj Siŭko, Alaksandar Ciupa, Ivan Mikša and Alaksandar Syryca.
The groups consider the persecution and imprisonment of all these people to be politically motivated and related to the peaceful exercise of their right to freedom of expression.
They call on the Belarusian government to decriminalize defamation and repeal the Criminal Code articles carrying punishment for insulting the state, its symbols and public officials.
A total of 1,423 people are currently serving politically-motivated sentences in Belarus, according to rights activists. Tens of thousands have suffered various forms of reprisals since the disputed presidential election of 2020.
- Politics, SecurityLatvia not eligible to receive drone alerts from Belarus, general saysThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- EconomyBelarus discussing direct air link with VenezuelaThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityBelarus-EU irregular crossings surpass 2024 total by September 16The material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyAt least nine Belarusians detained in US immigration casesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityLatvia bans night flights near shared borders with Belarus, Russia until October 8The material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyNumber of Belarusian expats in Lithuania down 10 percent since year’s startThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, Security
- PoliticsReprisals: rights groups label journalist, 16 others as political prisonersThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- PoliticsŁukašenka comments on Statkievič’s disappearanceThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SportŁukašenka changes rules for financing of sports federations, clubsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy, Politics, SecuritySix Belarusian-registered aircraft remain under US sanctionsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- Politics, SecurityBelarusian teen released as witness in Warsaw drone caseThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityBelarusian television broadcasts interview with Russian occupation officialThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityNausėda: UAV that flew into Lithuania was stray Russian drone targeting UkraineThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy, Politics
- EconomyBiełstat: industrial inventories up 36 percent in January-AugustThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics