{"id":108490,"date":"2024-10-09T11:38:55","date_gmt":"2024-10-09T08:38:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/108490\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"reprisals-exiled-opposition-activists-face-criminal-charges-expropriation","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/108490\/","title":{"rendered":"Reprisals: exiled opposition activists face criminal charges, expropriation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

October 9, Pozirk. <\/em><\/strong>New cases of politically-motivated persecution documented in Belarus on October 8 targeted exiled opposition activists as investigators accused 45 Belarusians currently based abroad of conspiracy to seize power and association with extremist groups over their alleged cooperation with pro-democracy forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Police raided the apartment of exiled lawyer Maryja Kolesava-Hudzilina in \u017dodzina, Minsk region, Euroradio<\/em> reported. Her Instagram account was recently branded extremist content in Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Warsaw-based Belsat <\/em>TV channel banned in Belarus reported that authorities seized the countryside house from its CEO Alaksiej Dzikavicki’s parents in the Brest region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Protest-related cases<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Supreme Court, another group trial took place in Brest, targeting participants in 2020 postelection protests. Alaksandar Pratasiuk and Alaksiej Martyna\u016d were given prison terms ranging from one year to 18 months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The judge also sentenced Elvira \u0141amanos to two years of restricted freedom in an open-type correctional facility; Ta\u0107ciana Bandaruk and Via\u010das\u0142a\u016d Hrabinski, two and three years, respectively, in home confinement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Natalla Sa\u0142uk, arrested in April, is accused of violent disorder, a charge that authorities use to persecute 2020 protesters, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arrests and trials<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Catholic priest Juryj Bara\u016dnio\u016d from Krule\u016d\u0161\u010dyna, Viciebsk region, was arrested on Monday for sharing opposition content, Chryscijanskaja Vizija said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Business executive Maksim \u017dydzie\u0144 is under arrest for allegedly signing up for the opposition Pieramoha Plan, Mediazona<\/em> reported. Pro-government sources also reported an arrest of a man who returned to Belarus from abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aksana \u010ca\u010dot and Nadzieja Pa\u0142ujeva were tried in the Hrodna and Viciebsk regions, respectively, for sharing opposition content, Telegram channels monitoring politically-motivated persecution said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Viasna reports that authorities imposed a fine of 640,000 rubels ($195,000) in addition to the lengthy prison sentences passed against 12 people in connection with an attack on the Ma\u010duli\u0161\u010dy air base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of October 9, human rights defenders identified at least 1,279 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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