{"id":117463,"date":"2024-12-10T11:01:03","date_gmt":"2024-12-10T08:01:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/117463\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"reprisals-more-regime-critics-forced-to-flee-belarus","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/117463\/","title":{"rendered":"Reprisals: more regime critics forced to flee Belarus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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

KGB keeps branding online projects as \u201cextremist\u201d groups<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two exiled ex-officers tried over 2021 drone attack<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka pardons 29 political prisoners, BelaPAN editor released after serving full sentence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

December 10, Pozirk.<\/em> <\/strong>The BySol solidarity fund recorded a spike in evacuations from the country over the past two months as authorities stepped up politically-motivated persecution in the run-up to the January presidential election. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The number rose from 18 people in September to 43 in October and 46 in November, its head Andrej Stry\u017eak told Pozirk<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

The Committee for State Security (KGB) designated a Hrodna-based news website s13.ru<\/em>, the Maris Mar\u2019s City Garden, Belarus ID and Pismo.bel <\/em>projects as extremist groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Siarhiej \u010cabo\u0107ka, a founder of s13.ru<\/em>, was not freed after serving three consecutive 15-day jail terms, hrodna.life<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Police arrested Volha Mika\u0142ajeva from Baranavi\u010dy, Brest region, on suspicion of posting in a blacklisted opposition chat, Na\u0161a Niva<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Released<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iryna Le\u016d\u0161yna, a former BelaPAN<\/em> CEO and editor in chief, was released on December 7, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported. She has served her sentence in full.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday, Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka signed an edict, pardoning 11 women and 18 men convicted of extremism-related crimes, his press office reported. All of them \u201crepented of what they had done and asked for a pardon,\u201d it added. Three of them are reportedly seniors, 15 people suffer from chronic diseases and two have disabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

In mid-November, soccer player Andrei Sa\u0142aviej and his wife Aksana were given two years of restricted freedom in home confinement on protest-related charges, by.tribuna.com<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forester Vitold \u0160alkievi\u010d and Viktoryja Damosta, a mother of three, are on trial in Hrodna and face multiple criminal charges in their respective cases, Na\u0161a Niva<\/em> and Viasna reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A judge in Minsk opened a hearing in the case against exiled former riot policeman Pavie\u0142 Ku\u0142a\u017eanka and former military officer Vital Paciechin, Viasna reported. Authorities accused them of involvement in the 2021 drone attack on a Minsk-based special police unit and seized their Belarus-based properties valued at 240,000 rubels (about $71,600).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Prosecutor General\u2019s Office forwarded to court a case against exiled economist Pavie\u0142 Danejka, Pozirk<\/em> reported. Investigators accused Danejka, an administrative director of the BEROC think tank, of unlicensed business activities, conspiracy to seize power and association with an extremist group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

At least 176 artists, including 39 authors, had been held in prisons or open-type correctional facilities in politically-motivated cases as of late November, according to a recent report by the Belarusian PEN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of December 10, human rights defenders identified at least 1,283 political prisoners but the real number is considerably higher because many cases go undocumented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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