{"id":118972,"date":"2024-12-19T12:26:57","date_gmt":"2024-12-19T09:26:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/118972\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"reprisals-hrodna-region-reports-3250-extremism-cases-since-2020","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/118972\/","title":{"rendered":"Reprisals: Hrodna region reports 3,250 extremism cases since 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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

Two Belarusians, one Ukrainian convicted in high-profile terrorism case <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

More Belarusians on trial for insulting \u0141uka\u0161enka<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second Japanese national\u2019s arrest in Belarus confirmed<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

December 19, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> The Hrodna region’s authorities have filed 3,250 extremism-related criminal cases since 2020, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported, citing assistant prosecutor U\u0142adzimir Raba\u016d. Prosecutors reportedly forwarded cases against 597 defendants to courts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other cases of politically-motivated persecution documented in Belarus on December 18 include prison sentences of 11 to 25 years against Barys Puchalski, Ivan Barodzi\u010d and Ukrainian Ivan Likholat, the Prosecutor General\u2019s Office reported. Authorities accused them of cooperating with the Ukrainian secret service and plotting a terrorist attack on the railway in the Viciebsk region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alaksandar Kamlanok, a former railroad worker from Or\u0161a, Viciebsk region, was sentenced to three years in prison on charges of insulting Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka and financing extremism for alleged association with opposition groups, orsha.eu <\/em>reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Viktar Tarasievi\u010d, whose brother is serving a six-year prison term in a politically-motivated case, went on trial at the Minsk District Court, Viasna said. He is also accused of insulting \u0141uka\u0161enka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jailed Jelisiej Ku\u017aniaco\u016d faces charges of disobeying prison authorities, Viasna said. The man is serving a two-and-a-half-year prison term on charges of abusing state symbols. In the past, he had served a similar restricted freedom term for allegedly threatening a police officer and illegal actions with firearms. Rights groups consider him a political prisoner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Dozens of people were tried in the Mahilo\u016d region’s Chocimsk for sharing videos from the outlawed TUT.BY<\/em>, Belsat<\/em>, RFE\/RL<\/em> Belarus’ Service as well as Stop Luka<\/em> and Nexta <\/em>projects. Police identified them by monitoring of Odnoklassniki and Vkontakte pages, MAYDAY.TEAM said. Two more persons are to stand trial on similar charges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Information ministry announced extremist content designations for the Lukasholki<\/em> and Blood And Honour Ukraine <\/em>on Telegram; lesley.knife<\/em> on Instagram, Maks Srakatanski<\/em> and Pani Nasta\u010dka (Anataia Stark)<\/em> on X as well as the social media pages of the opposition’s One-Stop Shop initiative offering free legal help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

The Embassy of Japan in Minsk confirmed the arrest of a second Japanese national in Belarus, asahi.com<\/em> reported. The man was reportedly filming railway facilities in the Homiel region, belzhd.info<\/em> said earlier this month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of December 16, human rights defenders identified at least 1,276 political prisoners but the real number is considerably higher because many cases go undocumented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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