{"id":141700,"date":"2025-06-06T20:22:15","date_gmt":"2025-06-06T17:22:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/141700\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T20:40:57","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T20:40:57","slug":"human-rights-defenders-label-14-as-political-prisoners","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/141700\/","title":{"rendered":"Human rights defenders label 14 as political prisoners"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>June 6, <em>Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> Human rights defenders have designated 14 people as political prisoners, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They have granted the status to Lubo\u016d Drahiel, who was arrested in September 2024 for alleged extremism; Cina Pa\u0142ynskaja, a former journalist based in Po\u0142ack, Viciebsk region; and Marharyta Rabinovi\u010d (earlier, activists reported that Pa\u0142ynskaja&#8217;s daughter Marharyta was arrested together with her).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The others are: Lubo\u016d V., Vital Kavalenka, Alaksandar Kulikovi\u010d, Alaksandar Lebied\u017a, Iryna Lebied\u017a, Volha Miranienka, Natalla Pupkievi\u010d, Artur Tarasa\u016d, Jaras\u0142ava Chram\u010dankova, A\u0142a Ju\u0161kievi\u010d and Mika\u0142aj Dajnieka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Committee for State Security (KGB) arbitrarily declare people who criticize the government and demand reform, &#8220;as extremist in an extrajudicial manner,&#8221; the statement said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It added that recognizing media outlets as extremist groups &#8220;opens the way for arbitrary criminal prosecution and imprisonment against their members and interviewees as a disproportionate measure of restricting the right to association and freedom of expression.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The human rights defenders are calling on the Belarusian authorities to immediately release all political prisoners, reconsider politically motivated sentences, and end political repression against the country&#8217;s citizens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Besides Viasna, the statement has been signed by Belarusian PEN, Lawtrend, Pravavaja Inicyjatyva, Belarusian Helsinki Committee, and Barys Zvozska\u016d Human Rights House.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"insert-block\">\n\n    <div class=\"insert-block__img\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"354\" height=\"236\" src=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/turma_radyio_svaboda-354x236.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/turma_radyio_svaboda-354x236.jpg 354w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/turma_radyio_svaboda-734x490.jpg 734w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/turma_radyio_svaboda-178x118.jpg 178w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/turma_radyio_svaboda-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/turma_radyio_svaboda.jpg 1128w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 354px) 100vw, 354px\" \/>                        <label class=\"insert-block__tag--mobile\"> Politics<\/label>\n\n                            <label class=\"insert-block__tag--mobile\"> Society<\/label>\n\n                <\/div>\n    <div class=\"insert-block__text\">\n                    <label class=\"insert-block__tag\">Politics, Society<\/label>\n                <h3 class=\"insert-block__title\">Over 50 political prisoners released in May \u2013 Viasna<\/h3>\n        <div class=\"insert-block__descr\">June 3, Pozirk. At least 51 political prisoners were released in May 2025, 42 of them by pardons, the Viasna Human Rights Center reports. More than 1,550 political prisoners have been freed from correctional facilities after serving their sentences since &#8230;<\/div>\n        <a class=\"insert-block__btn-block\" href=\"\/en\/news\/141168\">\n            <button class=\"btn\">\n                <div class='btn__text'>Read the article<\/div>\n            <\/button>\n        <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>June 6, Pozirk. Human rights defenders have designated 14 people as political prisoners, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported. They have granted the status to Lubo\u016d Drahiel, who was arrested in September 2024 for alleged extremism; Cina Pa\u0142ynskaja, a former journalist based in Po\u0142ack, Viciebsk region; and Marharyta Rabinovi\u010d (earlier, activists reported that Pa\u0142ynskaja&#8217;s daughter [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":86142,"template":"","rubric":[16],"class_list":["post-141700","articles","type-articles","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","rubric-politics"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Human rights defenders label 14 as political prisoners | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"June 6, Pozirk. Human rights defenders have designated 14 people as political prisoners, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported. 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