{"id":136590,"date":"2025-05-03T13:21:19","date_gmt":"2025-05-03T10:21:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/136590\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"reprisals-google-refuses-minsks-requests-to-take-down-youtube-videos","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/136590\/","title":{"rendered":"Reprisals: Google refuses Minsk\u2019s requests to take down YouTube videos"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Briefly: Supreme Court upholds lengthy prison terms for convicted \u201crail partisans\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two media projects, three opposition groups branded extremist in Belarus<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exiled opposition politician given 18 years in prison in absentia<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

RSF Press Freedom Index ranks Belarus in bottom 15<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

May 3, Pozirk.<\/strong> Last year, Google refused seven Minsk’s requests to remove 58 items, 56 of which were YouTube videos, Na\u0161a Niva <\/em>said. Two requests reportedly came from an unnamed state agency that demanded the removal of 51 videos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The news coincided with the release of the 2025 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), ranking Belarus 166th of 180 assessed countries and territories. The analysis highlighted an ongoing massive crackdown on independent media outlets and journalists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other cases of politically-motivated persecution documented in Belarus on May 1 and 2 included mass arrests of 2020 protesters as authorities try to punish as many as possible before the five-year statute of limitations expires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of the arrests are made on violent disorder charges that officials routinely use to persecute peaceful protesters, the Viasna Human Rights Center said. Authorities also target people for corresponding with the now defunct Bie\u0142aruski Hajun, a security monitoring group declared extremist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

The Supreme Court upheld lengthy prison sentences against three men convicted of an attempted terror attack and damaging railroad equipment near Ta\u0142o\u010dyn, Viciebsk region, in an attempt to disrupt Russian military equipment movement as Moscow launched a full-scale war on Ukraine in February 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ivan Likholat, a Ukrainian, was sentenced to 20 years in prison, Barys Puchalski to 25 years and Ivan Barodzi\u010d, to 11 years, the Prosecutor General’s Office reported. Rights groups consider their persecution to be politically motivated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pressure on exiles<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A judge in Minsk sentenced opposition politician Siarhiej Biaspa\u0142a\u016d to 18 years in prison and fined him 42,000 rubels (some $14,000) on extremism-related charges without him being present at the trial, the Prosecutor General\u2019s Office said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarusian investigators accused Biaspa\u0142a\u016d of founding and heading the Maja Kraina Bie\u0142aru\u015b<\/em> Telegram channel that Minsk branded as an \u201cextremist\u201d group.  He faced 10 criminal charges, including conspiracy to seize power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities put up for an auction the 25-year-old car of exiled activist Je\u017ey Hryhien\u010da, convicted of extremism without being present at the trial, according to e-auction.by<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Extremist register update<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities blacklisted Partyzanskaja Chvala, a subdivision of Cyberpartisans hacktivist group, Belsat<\/em>\u2019s Haj Tak<\/em> TV, Bie\u0142aruskaja Hrenadziorskaja Charuhva, the Narodny Deputat and Partyzanka initiatives as extremist groups. The Narodny Deputat project exposed and analyzed the activities of Viciebsk officials and monitored local politics. Partyzanka focuses on providing legal assistance to Belarusian political exiles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

The BySol Solidarity Foundation helped Aleh Furman flee Belarus after authorities filed criminal charges against him, Na\u0161a Niva<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rights groups branded eight more people as political prisoners two days ago. Most of them were convicted of\u00a0insulting Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka and his officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of May 3, human rights defenders identified at least 1,202 political prisoners but the real number is considerably higher because many cases go undocumented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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