{"id":101595,"date":"2024-08-22T12:15:57","date_gmt":"2024-08-22T09:15:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/101595\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"reprisals-continue-amid-ongoing-pardon-program","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/101595\/","title":{"rendered":"Reprisals continue amid ongoing pardon program"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

August 22, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on August 21 with more arrests and trials linked to participation in 2020 postelection protest rallies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pro-government sources reported the arrests of two men accused of participating in protests and posting online comments critical of the current government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brest Judge Andrej Hru\u0161ko sentenced Ala\u016dcina Hudkova to one year in prison; Aleh Litvin\u010duk and brothers Maciej and Leanid Aviar\u010duk, to 18 months for participating in protest rallies four years ago, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported. All four admitted to chanting opposition slogans, carrying white-red-white flags and obstructing traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Judge \u015aviat\u0142ana Ku\u017ami\u010donak in Viciebsk sentenced Jervand Marcirasian to two years in prison for allegedly insulting Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka in remarks he made while being drunk in the presence of police officers, Viasna said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Narodny Reporter <\/em>Telegram channel, chat, bot and the VKontakte page were branded as extremist content in Belarus. Other blacklisted social media accounts include Besedy Belaruskoy Revolucii<\/em>, Homielskaja Pra\u016dda<\/em> and Bie\u0142aruskaja Pra\u016dda<\/em> on Telegram, Za Svoj Gorod Pruzhany<\/em> and Bap Da Voli <\/em>on Facebook as well as Zmahar_2.0<\/em>, Glafira <\/em>and Bulba na no\u010d<\/em> on TikTok.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities pardoned and released at least 18 political prisoners, including journalist Ksienija \u0141uckina, trade unionist Vasil Biera\u015bnie\u016d, Iryna Sanko\u016dskaja, Volha Novikava, A\u0142a Zujeva, Volha Stabro\u016dskaja, Tamara Karavaj, Kaciaryna Le\u016d, Natalla Piatrovi\u010d, \u015aviat\u0142ana Pa\u0142uektava and Ja\u016dhien \u010cumi\u0142a, according to Viasna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of August 22, human rights defenders identified at least 1,358 political prisoners but the real number is considerably higher because many cases go undocumented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarusian authorities have arrested about 65,000 people for political reasons in the four years since the August 2020 presidential election, Viasna reported in early August.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n
\n \"\"