{"id":116649,"date":"2024-12-04T13:13:32","date_gmt":"2024-12-04T10:13:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/116649\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"reprisals-japanese-national-arrested-for-filming-railways-in-homiel-region","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/116649\/","title":{"rendered":"Reprisals: Japanese national arrested for filming railways in Homiel region"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Briefly:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Belarusian and a Pole sentenced to lengthy prison terms on charges of high treason and spying<\/strong> last year<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prison sentences of four to 12 years for Imaguru managers, one of whom is held in prison in Belarus, others are in exile<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Japanese national arrested for filming railway facilities in southern Belarus<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One man sentenced to four years in prison in connection with politically-sensitive social media posts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two on trial for allegedly taking part in 2020 protests<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Journalist Ivan Mura\u016djo\u016d free after serving his two-year sentence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

December 4, Pozirk.<\/em> <\/strong>Three days ago, police arrested and handed over to the Committee for State Security (KGB) a Japanese national who was filming railway facilities in the Homiel region, belzhd.info<\/em> reported.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other cases of politically-motivated persecution documented in Belarus on December 3 included the trial of Alaksandar \u017dalazo\u016dski in Viciebsk accused of sharing opposition content, the Vitebsk, Ya Gulayu! <\/em>Telegram channel reported. Previously, the man had served three years of restricted freedom in an open-type correctional facility in a politically-motivated case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pro-government blogger D\u017amitryj Biela\u0161o\u016d is on trial in Or\u0161a, Viciebsk region, on charges of publicly displaying Nazi symbols and violating the order of holding mass events, the same channel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

D\u017amitryj Pa\u017aniako\u016d, a former army officer designated as a political prisoner, is serving a 19-year prison sentence for alleged high treason, Belarus 1 <\/em>TV channel said. This is the first official report of his sentence, although the trial was held in November 2023. The man is held at Penal Colony No. 1 in the Viciebsk region’s Navapo\u0142ack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same case, a 14-year prison sentence was handed to Polish national Tomasz Biaroza, who was found guilty of espionage and covert operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Minsk City Court sentenced Ja\u016dhien Puha\u010d, a manager at the Imaguru startup hub, to four and a half years in prison and fined him 20,000 rubels (some $5,660), the Prosecutor General\u2019s Office reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exiled Imaguru managers Ta\u0107ciana Maryni\u010d and Anastasija Chamiankova were given 12 and 11 years in prison, respectively, without them being present at the trial. The judge also fined them 280,000 rubels ($80,000) each. Charges against them ranged from inciting hatred and calling for sanctions to association with an extremist group and conspiracy to seize power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A judge in Hrodna sentenced D\u017amitryj Ho\u0142ub to four years in prison on charges of inciting hatred, violent disorder and insulting Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka in connection with critical social media posts, the Viasna Human Rights Center said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ivan Byvalca\u016d and Kaciaryna Byvalcava went on trial in Dziar\u017eynsk, Minsk region, on protest-related charges, Viasna reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Authorities released cameraman and photographer Ivan Mura\u016djo\u016d after he had served two and a half years in prison on charges of association with an extremist group, he said on Facebook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eight women were pardoned by \u0141uka\u0161enka’s recent edict, Sputnik Belarus<\/em> reported, citing propaganda worker Juryj Vaskrasienski. Four surnames that he mentioned belong to women, whom rights groups consider political prisoners: Valeryja Drahun, Alena Dubro\u016dskaja, Ta\u0107ciana Makarava and Natalla Sciepina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In early November, the official extremist content register featured 6,565 entries with 3,406 corresponding court rulings, according to Viasna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of December 4, human rights defenders identified at least 1,289 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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