{"id":103625,"date":"2024-09-05T11:45:13","date_gmt":"2024-09-05T08:45:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/103625\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"reprisals-continue-amid-pardon-for-30-regime-critics","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/103625\/","title":{"rendered":"Reprisals continue amid pardon for 30 regime critics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

September 5, Pozirk<\/em>. <\/strong>Reprisals continued unabated on September 4 despite Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka’s decision to pardon seven women and 23 men, convicted on protest-related charges. The released inmates were reportedly punished for criticizing authorities online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Entrepreneur Viktoryja Ha\u016drylina and Maryna Kisialevi\u010d, activist of the Mothers-328 group, were among the 30 prisoners released.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, rights groups designated five more people as political prisoners, while Andrej \u0160arenda, husband of jailed opposition activist Palina \u0160arenda-Panasiuk, sounded alarm over his wife’s sharply deteriorating health behind bars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arrests<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarusian state-run TV reported the arrest of Japanese national Nakanishi Masatoshi. Authorities claim he collected information about Belarusian military infrastructure, the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative and developments at the Belarusian-Ukrainian border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opposition activist Alaksiej Klu\u0161ni\u010denka has been held in custody since his arrest in late February, Hanna Hiera\u0161\u010danka said on Facebook. He is accused of inciting hatred, calling for sanctions, insulting and defaming Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ihar Draby\u0161e\u016dski is under arrest in Minsk for allegedly calling for protests in 2020 and using opposition chats, Mediazona<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Criminal proceedings<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The trials of 2020 protesters continued in the Brest region. The trial of Illa Sabko, Alaksandar Zajca\u016d, Mika\u0142aj Kapluk, Kyryl Jautu\u0161yk, Mika\u0142aj Misiuk, Artur Zaremba, D\u017amitryj \u0141ysiuk, Aleh Bandaruk, Michai\u0142 Vieram\u010duk, D\u017amitryj Sa\u0142aviejka and Dzianis Jakavienka was scheduled to open in Brest on Wednesday, while Alaksandar Valocka and Arciom Stasiukievi\u010d were to go on trial in Pinsk, the Brest branch of the Viasna Human Rights Center said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Extremist” and \u201cterrorist\u201d list updates<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarusian judges branded the X account of Libereco – Partnership for Human Right, a German-Swiss human rights organization, extremist content, the information ministry said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other blacklisted content includes X pages by Belarusian journalist Hanna Lubakova and pundit Pavie\u0142 Slunkin; bielarus.info<\/em>, margo.vorykhava<\/em>, anton_rodionovart<\/em> on Instagram; BGmedia: novosti – 2024<\/em> on Telegram; Bie\u0142aruski Hub Novaja Ziamla<\/em> and Akcyi Bie\u0142arusa\u016d Var\u0161avy<\/em> on Facebook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Committee for State Security (KGB) announced 12 new additions to its list of people and organizations \u201cinvolved in terrorist activities,\u201d taking the total of entries to 1,158.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other cases<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lawyers for exiled opposition politician Vadzim Saran\u010duko\u016d, sentenced in absentia to four years in prison on extremism-related charges, appealed the verdict in the Supreme Court, Viasna said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of September 5, human rights defenders identified at least 1,375 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

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