{"id":110746,"date":"2024-10-23T12:16:43","date_gmt":"2024-10-23T09:16:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/110746\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"reprisals-harassment-of-belarus-based-journalists-continues","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/110746\/","title":{"rendered":"Reprisals: another journalist arrested"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

October 23, Pozirk. <\/em><\/strong>Armed riot police officers arrested journalist Ihar Ilja\u0161 on October 22 for interviews with independent media, according to a police video. His wife, journalist Kaciaryna Andrejeva (Bachva\u0142ava), is serving a lengthy prison and is considered a political prisoner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other cases of politically-motivated persecution documented in Belarus on October 22 included the arrest of a former Minsk hotel engineer, known as Ihar Rem on social media, for participating in 2020 postelection protests, Mediazona<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In early October, exiled former police officer Juryj Machna\u010d was convicted in absentia on high treason charges for disclosing information about violence against 2020 protesters in Lida, Hrodna region, the Viasna Human Rights Center said. Authorities punished him with a 15-year prison sentence and a fine of 20,000 rubels (some $6,000).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Online content<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A pro-government blogger Alaksandar Pietra\u010dko\u016d was tried for sharing content that allegedly promotes extremism, Viasna\u2019s Homiel branch said. The sentence is unknown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Natalla Hre\u0161\u010dyk and Alaksiej Saka\u016d were tried in the Hrodna region for sharing opposition content, the Pravo Imeyut<\/em> Telegram channel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A judge in Minsk sentenced Alena Barysiuk to two and a half years in prison on charges of inciting hatred in connection with politically-sensitive social media posts, Viasna reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alaksandar Jacenka was given two years in prison and fined 8,000 rubels (about $2,430) without being present at a trial in Mahilo\u016d, Viasna said. Authorities persecuted him for insulting officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raman Jakimienka went on trial in Minsk for online comments about a terrorist attack on a concert hall near Moscow this spring, Viasna said. Charges against him range from inciting hatred to facilitating extremism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Polish authorities deported a Belarusian national whose stay in the country was deemed illegal, mostmedia.io<\/em> reported. In Belarus, he was jailed for sharing opposition content and is now facing criminal charges of financing extremism for donating $5 to the BySol solidarity fund. The man attempted suicide while in Poland in protest against his deportation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Armenia granted Belarusian dissident Kiry\u0142 Ba\u0142andzin refugee status, refusing to extradite him to Belarus at Minsk’s request, RFE\/RL<\/em> Armenian Service reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Privately-owned Streamline Language School is closing down, while its CEO Eduard Caluk’s phone remains inaccessible, the Alliance of Belarus\u2019 Investigators said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inmates at Penal Colony No 1 in Navapo\u0142ack, Viciebsk region, cannot receive parcels due to a reported lack of staff that could handle parcels and oversee visits, MAYDAY.TEAM said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of October 23, human rights defenders identified at least 1,300 political prisoners but the real number is considerably higher because many cases go undocumented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarusian authorities filed 7,400 politically-motivated criminal cases in the four years since the August 2020 presidential election, Viasna reported last week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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