{"id":122927,"date":"2025-01-23T12:00:37","date_gmt":"2025-01-23T09:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/122927\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"reprisals-authorities-set-to-boost-control-over-internet-in-belarus","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/122927\/","title":{"rendered":"Reprisals: authorities set to boost control over internet in Belarus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Briefly:<\/strong> Authorities issue regulation to facilitate seizure of domain names<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Servicewoman, two others tried for sharing opposition content<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truck drivers persecuted over online activities<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two art critics\u2019 social media channels branded extremist content<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Captured volunteer fighter forced to appear on state-run TV<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

January 23, Pozirk. <\/em><\/strong>New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on January 22 as authorities kept punishing regime critics’ online activities and issued a new regulation allowing revocation of domain names \u201ccapable of harming the national interests\u201d of Belarus, Pozirk<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At least three persons were tried for sharing opposition content: servicewoman Hanna Trajan was tried in Lepiel, Viciebsk region; Alaksandar \u017dyhuno\u016d in Viciebsk; athlete Kanstancin \u010carno\u016d, in \u010ca\u0161niki, Viciebsk region, rights defenders monitoring politically-motivated trials said. \u010carno\u016d\u2019s social media pages have been also recently branded as extremist content. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a different development, police arrested about 20 truck drivers after checking their phones at the border, Na\u0161a Niva <\/em>reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The information ministry announced extremist content designations for the YouTube and Telegram channels by music critic Alaksandar \u010carnucha as well as social media pages by journalist and art expert Maksim \u017dbanko\u016d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other blacklisted content includes no-army.com<\/em> as well as economic expert Jaras\u0142a\u016d Raman\u010duk’s Telegram channel along with seven other Telegram pages; stachkombelaruskalii<\/em>, 2025calendar<\/em>, razam.niedersachsen<\/em>, smthnhappened <\/em>on Instagram, a Facebook account of the Brest region’s Belarusian social democrats, Puls Belarusi <\/em>on X and several other social media pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presidential election<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pro-government observers reported two instances when voters tried to take pictures of their ballots during the early voting in Belarus\u2019 seventh presidential election, according to the Narodniy Kontrol <\/em>Telegram channel linked to the authorities. It threatened Belarusians with fines for photographing and making videos of ballots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

The state-run Belarus 1 <\/em>TV channel aired a broadcast featuring captured volunteer Vasil Vieramiej\u010dyk, who fought Russia in Ukraine. In November, he was extradited to Belarus from Vietnam. Authorities accuse him of violence or threats of violence against public officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Farmer Juryj Hancevi\u010d who participated in the 2019 parliamentary election was arrested near Homiel, the Homiel branch of the Viasna Human Rights Center said. The reasons remain unknown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Retired teacher Alena Stachejka from Baranavi\u010dy, Brest region, sentenced to one year in prison on protest-related charges, was pardoned, the Dolgaya Doroga Domoy<\/em> Telegram channel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarusian authorities have sentenced at least 3,277 people under anti-protest laws since 2020, Viasna reported. The number may be higher since authorities conceal the true scale of reprisals.  The anti-protest laws include charges of violent disorder, rioting and violating the procedure for holding public events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of January 23, human rights defenders identified at least 1,256 political prisoners but the real number is considerably higher because many cases go undocumented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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