{"id":116282,"date":"2024-12-02T11:44:43","date_gmt":"2024-12-02T08:44:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/116282\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"reprisals-authorities-keep-branding-more-social-media-content-as-extremist","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/116282\/","title":{"rendered":"Reprisals: authorities keep branding more social media content as \u201cextremist\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

December 2, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> New cases of politically-motivated persecution documented in Belarus from November 30 to December 1 include more extremist content designations, according to the information ministry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blacklisted accounts include blogger Vadzim Jerma\u0161uk\u2019s (Vadimati) Instagram page deleted more than one week ago, bawlab.eu<\/em> website; Volny Bie\u0142arus<\/em>, grodno_courts<\/em> and saanfranciscoo<\/em> on TikTok; Free Zhlobin<\/em> on VKontakte, as well as several Telegram channels, among them Spravedliviy Mir<\/em>, Diplomatiya<\/em>, BSDP<\/em>, Bie\u0142aruski Instytut Publi\u010dnaj Historyi<\/em>, BChD Partyja Bie\u0142rauskaja Chry\u015bcijanskaja Demakratyja<\/em> and sekktor<\/em>, a page promoting funding opportunities for artists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This month, authorities will hold at least three appeal hearings in cases widely seen as politically motivated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On December 13, a judge in Homiel will hear an appeal by opposition activist Palina \u0160arenda-Panasiuk against an additional one-year prison sentence imposed on her in mid-October for allegedly disobeying prison authorities, the Brest branch of the Viasna Human Rights Center said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three years ago, the activist was given two years in prison after a judge found her guilty of violence against a police officer and insulting officials. She subsequently received three additional one-year terms for allegedly disobeying prison administration. Her added sentences are already longer than the original one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other upcoming hearings include Maksim Chva\u0161\u010dynski\u2019s appeal against the seven-year prison term given on defamation charges and trade unionist Volha Brycikava\u2019s appeal against the second three-year prison sentence, reform.news<\/em> and Viasna reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brycikava was given a cumulative prison term of six years, after being found guilty of inciting hatred, calling for sanctions and facilitating extremism for alleged association with blacklisted opposition groups.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of December 2, human rights defenders identified at least 1,295 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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