{"id":145166,"date":"2025-07-03T12:09:06","date_gmt":"2025-07-03T09:09:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/145166\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"reprisals-26-persecuted-in-bielaruski-hajun-case","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/145166\/","title":{"rendered":"Reprisals: 26 persecuted in Bie\u0142aruski Hajun case"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Briefly: Hunt for regime critics in Brest region continues<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wargaming co-founder accused of financing extremism and terrorism<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Media project, page promoting education in the US among blacklisted content<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Viasna\u2019s lawyer describes forceful deportations as new tool of pressure on dissidents<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

July 3, Pozirk.<\/em> <\/strong>The Viasna Human Rights Center identified at least 26 people prosecuted over links to Bie\u0142aruski Hajun case, including for sharing information on Russian military hardware movements with the now-defunct opposition monitoring project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other cases of politically-motivated persecution documented in Belarus on July 1 and 2 included a trial of Mikita Samaryn, arrested upon his return to Belarus for allegedly assaulting a police officer a few years ago, Viasna said. Rights defenders consider his persecution to be politically motivated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities filed at least five criminal cases on extremism-related charges in the Brest region\u2019s Biaroza district, local police chief Valancin Pa\u0161kievi\u010d said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Investigative Committee accused Mika\u0142aj Kaca\u0142apa\u016d, a co-founder and former top manager of the Wargaming game development company, of financing extremism and terrorism in connection with donations to opposition initiatives and Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Online content<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The information ministry announced extremism content designations for thisminsk.org<\/em> and associated social media pages, EducationUSA Belarus <\/em>on Facebook, Belarus12stop<\/em> and Nastoyashchaya Belarus<\/em> on YouTube; dmitriyzhdanko<\/em>, ezhikgrigencha<\/em> and senya.levshin <\/em>on Instagram; Zerkalo | Novosti<\/em> on Viber, belarus_peramogam.2020<\/em> on TikTok and several Telegram channels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regime critics<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities released at least 33 regime critics from prison last month, including 20 who had served their terms in full, Viasna said. Almost 1,600 people have been released since 2020 after serving their sentences. Thirteen dissidents were pardoned in June, with 16 more following on July 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At least eight Belarusians without any other citizenship have been forcefully deported from Belarus after serving prison terms in politically-motivated cases, Viasna\u2019s Pavie\u0142 Sapie\u0142ka said, noting that the practice is turning into a new tool of pressure on dissidents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Law enforcers have been harassing the mother of exiled journalist Siarhiej Sku\u0142aviec, he said on Facebook. He left Belarus two years ago, fearing persecution. Later, authorities filed criminal charges against him, which may be linked to his work for the Warsaw-based Belsat <\/em>TV channel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 At least 1,944 NGOs, including associations, trade unions and foundations, were dissolved between the 2020 presidential election and the end of June 2025, Lawtrend said in a report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of July 3, human rights defenders identified at least 1,160 political prisoners but the real number is considerably higher because many cases go undocumented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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