{"id":131854,"date":"2025-03-27T19:10:50","date_gmt":"2025-03-27T16:10:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/131854\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"over-250-sentenced-for-association-with-extremist-groups-since-2020","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/131854\/","title":{"rendered":"Over 250 sentenced for association with “extremist groups” since 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

March 27, Pozirk<\/em>. <\/strong>The Committee for State Security and the Ministry of Internal Affairs have designated 269 communities as “extremist groups” in the wake of the 2020 postelection protests, Viasna reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the human rights center, at least 258 people have been sentenced to prison under a Criminal Code article against creating or participating in extremist groups. Of them, 58 have been sentenced in absentia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It said sentences have been imposed on 22 journalists, 11 influencers, six lawyers, 24 activists, 10 former security officers, 31 politicians and 19 cultural figures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The convicts include 41 women. Thirty-six people have been convicted of ‘participation in an extremist group’ for supporting Ukraine in the war,” it added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Viasna pointed out that the first sentences under that article (in combination with other charges) were handed down on September 6, 2021, to politician Maryja Kale\u015bnikava (11 years in prison) and lawyer Maksim Znak (10 years).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The human rights group said that the anti-extremism Article 3611 <\/sup>was added to the Criminal Code in 2016.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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