{"id":1492,"date":"2023-08-17T11:45:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-17T08:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/api.pozirk.online\/?post_type=articles&p=1492"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"update-on-arrests-trials-politically-motivated-persecution-14","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/1492\/","title":{"rendered":"Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

August 17, BPN<\/em>.<\/strong> New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on August 16 as authorities keep punishing Belarusians for online criticism and participation in 2020 protests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arrested and released<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Committee for State Security (KGB) agents arrested at least seven employees of the National History Archive in Minsk, including its deputy head for research and the heads of departments, Radyjo Svaboda <\/em>reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A man from Mahilo\u016d was arrested in Minsk for tearing down an official state flag from a building, the Minsk police’s Telegram channel says. Authorities accuse him of abusing state symbols.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andrej Kaspiarovi\u010d is under arrest in Minsk over social media posts, Na\u0161a Niva<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On August 15, police arrested several people in \u017d\u0142obin, Homiel region, including Alaksiej A\u016ddzieje\u016d, a worker at the Belarusian Steel Works, and his girlfriend, the Homiel branch of the Viasna Human Rights Center reported. Three more persons were arrested for allegedly disobeying police orders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Police also arrested a man for alleged “extremist tattoos,” a pro-government Telegram channel said. In a police video, the man promises to remove the tattoos. Another arrested man admitted under duress to writing comments in opposition chats, sharing opposition content and participating in a protest rally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities released Illa Patru\u0161a\u016d, who had served two years and eight months in prison on charges of participating in protests and abusing state symbols, Viasna reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

The Minsk City Court sentenced Natalla Piatrovi\u010d, 68, to six years in prison for online comments, Viasna reported. Authorities accused her of inciting hatred, calling for sanctions, forming an extremist group and insulting Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka and public officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On July 26, a judge in Hrodna sentenced Andrej Miahko\u016d to 18 months of restricted freedom in an open-type correctional facility for an online comment allegedly insulting a police officer, the Grodno_grab <\/em>Telegram channel said. He also has to pay a total of 5,700 rubels (over $1,780) in damages and fines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aleh Prakap\u010duk was given one year in prison on June 22 in Brest for allegedly insulting \u0141uka\u0161enka and public officials, the Brest branch of Viasna said. He has been in custody since mid-March and had served several jail terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A month ago, a judge in Minsk sentenced Vital Stani\u0161e\u016dski to 18 months of restricted freedom in home confinement for taking part protests, Viasna said. Authorities also blacklisted him as a person “involved in extremist activities.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mika\u0142aj Ma\u0161arski will go on trial on August 28 in Po\u0142ack, Viciebsk region, Viasna said. Authorities accuse him of insulting \u0141uka\u0161enka and repeatedly breaking rules governing mass events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trials<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On August 8, a judge in Or\u0161a, Viciebsk region, jailed a man from Bara\u0144 for 15 days for shouting out opposition slogans and supporting Ukraine, zerkalo.io<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other instances of persecution<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Police did not like the uniforms of Catholic youth scouts and dispersed their camp near Navahrudak in the Hrodna region, Chry\u015bcijanskaja Vizija <\/em>reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The information ministry unblocked local website brestnote.by, the Belarusian Association of Journalists said. The page was blocked on July 24 over alleged extremism-related content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New political prisoners<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Human rights groups declared 12 more people political prisoners, arrested or convicted on extremism or terrorism-related charges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of August 17, human rights defenders identified at least 1,492 political prisoners but the real number is considerably higher because many cases go undocumented. Opposition sources estimate the number of political prisoners at around 5,000.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

August 17, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on August 16 as authorities keep punishing Belarusians for online criticism and participation in 2020 protests. Arrested and released Committee for State Security (KGB) agents arrested at least seven employees of the National History Archive in Minsk, including its deputy head for research and the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":0,"template":"","rubric":[16],"class_list":["post-1492","articles","type-articles","status-publish","hentry","rubric-politics"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nUpdate on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"August 17, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on August 16 as authorities keep punishing Belarusians\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/1492\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" 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