{"id":123136,"date":"2025-01-24T12:40:19","date_gmt":"2025-01-24T09:40:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/123136\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"reprisals-prosecutors-block-access-to-election-monitoring-groups-website","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/123136\/","title":{"rendered":"Reprisals: prosecutors block access to election monitoring group\u2019s website"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Briefly: Rights defender jailed for 15 days for online activities<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prosecutors file criminal charges against PelPol over election officials\u2019 data leak<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KGB brands jailed trade unionist, 16 others as terrorists<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One Estonian, two Belarusians on political prisoners\u2019 list<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

January 24, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on January 23 as Mahilo\u016d region’s prosecutors blocked access to the website by the Honest People initiative monitoring electoral violations, the Viasna Human Rights Center said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prosecutors claimed the website ran \u201cfalse information about the political and social situation of the Republic of Belarus and information containing extremism.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u017dana Zajcava from Haradok, Viciebsk region, and Aleh Jahoranka\u016d from Mahilo\u016d were tried for allegedly sharing opposition content, the Vitebsk, Ya Gulayu<\/em> Telegram channel and Viasna said. Last July, Jahoranka\u016d was released after serving 18 months in prison for allegedly insulting Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Human rights defender U\u0142adzimir Cielapun was jailed in Mazyr, Homiel region, for 15 days after being tried on similar charges on January 15, Viasna\u2019s Homiel branch said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Criminal cases<\/p>\n\n\n\n

University instructor Alena \u0141apuchina went on trial in Minsk two days ago on protest-related charges, Viasna reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Prosecutor General\u2019s Office opened a criminal case against the BelPol opposition intelligence group after it published the names of 10,000 election officials, Pozirk<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

The Committee for State Security (KGB) added 17 people to the list of persons \u201cinvolved in terrorist activities,\u201d taking the total to 1,228 people, including at least 540 Belarusians, Pozirk <\/em>reported. One of the new additions is prominent trade unionist Volha Brycikava, serving a five-year prison term on charges widely seen as politically motivated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rights groups labeled Alena Bobr, Ihar Majsiejenka and Estonian Allan Royo as political prisoners, Viasna said. Royo is held in custody on charges of association with an extremist group for setting up a solidarity initiative Fund of Belarus Friends, which authorities branded an extremist group last year. Bobr and Majsiejenka were convicted of facilitating extremism for alleged association with opposition groups. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of January 24, human rights defenders identified at least 1,251 political prisoners but the real number is considerably higher because many cases go undocumented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n
\n \"\"