{"id":132614,"date":"2025-04-02T14:31:07","date_gmt":"2025-04-02T11:31:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/132614\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"rights-defender-says-minsk-conceals-political-reprisals-hoping-for-sanctions-relief","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/132614\/","title":{"rendered":"Rights defender says Minsk conceals political reprisals, hoping for sanctions relief"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

April 2, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> A recent decrease in documented politically-motivated criminal and administrative trials is linked to right groups\u2019 lack of access to data and not indicative of a reprieve from the government\u2019s relentless repression, Pavie\u0142 Sapie\u0142ka of the Viasna Human Rights Center has said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier this year, authorities severely restricted access to the database of court rulings, while on March 5 the Supreme Court blocked access to the electronic schedule of trials across the country. Both sources are important for documenting politically-motivated reprisals, he noted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year, Telegram channels linked to Belarusian law enforcement agencies stopped posting intimidating videos of people arrested on political grounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The list of “persons involved in extremist activities,” available for public access, does not feature all people convicted of extremism-related crimes, and therefore it is not a reliable source, the activist added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Belarusian officials have criminalized contacts with human rights defenders, labeling the leading human rights groups and activists who keep records of reprisals as extremists, he stressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These attempts to withhold information suggest that Minsk is trying to conceal the scale of human rights abuses from the international community, possibly hoping that the West will ease its sanctions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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