{"id":115404,"date":"2024-11-26T11:40:03","date_gmt":"2024-11-26T08:40:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/115404\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"reprisals-catholic-priest-tried-for-high-treason","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/115404\/","title":{"rendered":"Reprisals: Catholic priest tried for high treason"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

November 26, Pozirk.<\/em> <\/strong>New cases of politically-motivated persecution documented in Belarus from November 23 to 25 include the trial of Catholic priest Hienrych (Hienad\u017a) Aka\u0142atovi\u010d on high treason charges, the Viasna Human Rights Center said. He has been held in custody for about a year. Rights groups consider him a political prisoner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the disputed 2020 presidential election, authorities convicted at least 88 people, including 13 women, of high treason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Alaksandar Siazienia from Va\u016dkavysk, Hrodna region, is accused of sharing opposition content and may be jailed on minor offense charges, Haradzienskaja Pravaabarona said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blogger Vadzim Jerma\u0161uk aka Vadimati deleted his Instagram page after asking his followers to unfollow him due to the upcoming court hearing which may brand the page as extremist content, the Sudy, Zaderzhaniya. Grodno i Oblast <\/em>Telegram channel reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Hanna Stra\u017eevi\u010d is on trial on charges of violent disorder, insulting officials and defaming Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka as well as facilitating extremism for alleged association with opposition groups, Viasna said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Activist Juryj Kutuza\u016d, arrested during mass raids in the Hrodna region’s Smarho\u0144, remains in custody and may face criminal charges, Hradzienskaja Pravaabarona said. Two women, one of them Maryet Valuk, also remain under arrest, while most of the other raid\u2019s victims have been released.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Belarusian authorities are planning a smear campaign targeting opposition solidarity networks, including the BySol Foundation, its head Andrej Stry\u017eak said. Provocations will reportedly involve former political prisoners, families of current prisoners and other victims of politically-motivated reprisals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Homiel region’s prosecutors warn people previously tried for minor offenses linked to their political activities to “behave properly” during the upcoming presidential election on January 21-26, Flagshtok <\/em>reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The administration of the Babrujsk penal colony in the Mahilo\u016d region banned inmates from communicating with newly arriving ones imprisoned in politically-motivated cases, Viasna said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities released \u015aviat\u0142ana Karol, cycling activist from Homiel, Flagshtok<\/em> reported. No further details are available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Human rights defenders designated six more people as political prisoners on November 23, according to Viasna. One of them is Cimur \u0141ozka, a Brest-based anesthesiologist serving an eight-year prison term on terrorism-related charges for donations to opposition groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of November 26, human rights defenders identified at least 1,271 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 in mid-October.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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