{"id":131125,"date":"2025-03-22T13:13:31","date_gmt":"2025-03-22T10:13:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/131125\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"reprisals-former-customs-officer-convicted-on-high-treason-charges","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/131125\/","title":{"rendered":"Reprisals: former customs officer convicted on high treason charges"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Briefly: Athlete tried in Brest for participating in protests<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jailed employee of EU Delegation in Belarus branded as an \u201cextremist\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Facebook page by a Hrodna rights group blacklisted in Belarus<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Law enforcers keep harassing exiled regime critics, their families and friends in Belarus<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

March 22, Pozirk.<\/em> <\/strong>New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on March 21 as a propaganda movie broadcast by the state-run ONT<\/em> TV channel revealed that a Hrodna judge sentenced customs officer D\u017amitryj Skubi\u0142a\u016d to nine years in prison last December on high treason charges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The man was also fined 21,000 rubels (some $6,700). Skubi\u0142a\u016d processed traffic and cargo at the Belarusian-Lithuanian border. His family lived in Vilnius and he had a Lithuanian residence permit. Belarusian authorities claimed that Lithuanian special services recruited him during one of visits to his family. However, about two years ago, Vilnius deported Skubi\u0142a\u016d and declared him a threat to national security after subjecting him to a lie detector test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Athlete Siarhiej \u010cebiarak was tried in Brest on protest-related charges, BGmedia <\/em>reported. His sentence may be noncustodial, as he was released after the trial. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarusian officials added 22 names to the list of people involved in \u201cextremist activities,\u201d the interior ministry reported. The new additions include Mika\u0142aj Chi\u0142a, a jailed EU embassy staffer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The information ministry announced extremist content designations for Facebook accounts by Haradzienskaja Pravaabarona, Natalla Radzina and Illa Mirona\u016d, PALITVIAZEN<\/em> on TikTok and Kobrin Nash Gorod<\/em> on Odnoklassniki.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Belarusian Investigative Committee said it filed criminal charges against 400 exiles who participated in rallies abroad to protest what Minsk presented as a presidential election held under the full control of officials and security forces on January 26. Authorities plan to seize their Belarus-based properties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At least 34 people have been convicted for sabotage on railways and damaging vehicles since mid-2020 with 19 still held behind bars, says a recent report by the Viasna Human Rights Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Friends and acquaintances of exiled Belarusian regime critics may fall victim to blackmail and pressure from Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s regime, warned Andrej Stry\u017eak, head of the BySol Solidarity Foundation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vadzim Jerma\u0161uk known as blogger Vadimati, who left Belarus after his release from prison, said on Instagram that he was wanted in Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of March 22, human rights defenders identified at least 1,203 political prisoners but the real number is considerably higher because many cases go undocumented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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