{"id":126950,"date":"2025-02-19T11:16:27","date_gmt":"2025-02-19T08:16:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/126950\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"reprisals-education-projects-social-media-branded-extremist-content","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/126950\/","title":{"rendered":"Reprisals: education project\u2019s social media branded extremist content"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Briefly: Regime critics face more trials<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baptist preacher to appeal four-year sentence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jailed journalist, opposition activist develop health problems behind bars<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

February 19, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on February 18 as the information ministry announced extremist content designations for social media of the nastaunik.info<\/em> education initiative and the horki.info<\/em> local news project, \u017dyvie Bie\u0142aru\u015b<\/em> song by Elysium band; intelligenceby.org<\/em> and Digital Intelligence Team on Telegram and several social media accounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Maksim Jermalovi\u010d has been on trial at the Minsk City Court since February 11. Charges against him include insulting officials and association with an extremist group, according to the electronic court schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maksim Padcieraher went on trial in Hrodna yesterday on protest-related charges, according to the schedule. Similar cases will be heard later this month in Minsk against Andrej Ramano\u016dski, online activist Siarhiej Paulukievi\u010d and Alesia Halicyna<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Viasna Human Rights Center reported upcoming trials of spouses D\u017amitryj and Natalla Kubarecki as well as brothers Illa and Viktar Cichanienka in the Brest region. They face violent disorder charges, routinely used in Belarus to persecute political opponents for taking part in peaceful postelection protests in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miko\u0142a Chi\u0142a, a local staff member with the EU delegation to Belarus and a Baptist preacher, will appeal his four-year prison sentence at the Supreme Court on March 7, the electronic court schedule said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Persecution of journalists<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jailed journalist Ihar Karniej, 57, lost 15 kilograms and developed heart issues, Radyjo Svaboda<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Judge Ja\u016dhien Pisarevi\u010d from Minsk considered \u201cseveral issues\u201d related to the execution of sentence against journalist Pavie\u0142 Padabed whom he sentenced to four years in prison in June 2023, Pozirk<\/em> reported. The hearing took place 10 days ago. Padabied was persecuted on extremism-related charges for collaboration with the Warsaw-based Belsat <\/em>TV channel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Volha Majorava, imprisoned for 20 years on charges widely seen as politically motivated, risks losing her eyesight and is deprived of adequate medical care behind bars, the opposition transition cabinet said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The US national released on February 12 is 56-year-old Nikolai Shugaev, who was persecuted in Belarus for online comments, Rain TV<\/em> reported. He also has Ukrainian citizenship. Shugaev lived in Belarus with his son and wife, who denounced him to the authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of February 19, human rights defenders identified at least 1,218 political prisoners but the real number is considerably higher because many cases go undocumented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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