{"id":152147,"date":"2025-08-22T09:19:50","date_gmt":"2025-08-22T06:19:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/152147\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"reprisals-protestant-priest-given-prison-term-in-bielaruski-hajun-case","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/152147\/","title":{"rendered":"Reprisals: protestant priest given prison term in Bie\u0142aruski Hajun case"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

August 22, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> Protestant priest Aleh \u0141ojka was given three and a half years in prison for sharing pictures of Russian military equipment movement with the now-defunct Bie\u0142aruski Hajun initiative, Chry\u015bcijanskaja Vizija reported. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other cases of politically-motivated persecution documented in Belarus on August 20 and 21 included an arrest of a Hrodna man for allegedly slandering Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka, Hrodna\u017ey\u0142stroj said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday, Belarusian investigators filed a special proceedings case against exiled Alena \u017dy\u0142a\u010dkina (\u017dyvah\u0142od), Zaryna Sarokina, Aleh Davyd\u010dyk and Cimafiej Ma\u0142acho\u016dski of the Honest People initiative, the Investigative Committee reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The information ministry announced extremist content designations for 30 social media accounts, including MTN DEW<\/em>,\u00a0Umla\u016dt<\/em> and Malorita | NEWS<\/em> on Telegram as well as\u00a0freemarfa<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0free_marfa\u00a0<\/em>on VKontakte dedicated to jailed rights defender Marfa Rabkova, Pozirk <\/em>reported. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rights groups know of at least 191 political prisoners in a particularly dire situation, the Viasna Human Rights Center said. More than 70 have health issues, 27 are seniors over 60 and 39 are either single parents or are families where both parents are jailed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier this month, the Minsk Economic Court filed a bankruptcy case against the Symbal.by company that manufactured nationally-themed souvenirs, with the trial scheduled for October 30, the economy ministry said. Two years ago, its manager Pavie\u0142 Bie\u0142avus was given 13 years in prison on charges widely seen as politically motivated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Telegram channels linked to Belarusian law enforcers said that former prisoner Antanina Kanava\u0142ava agreed to cooperate with them after her release under a pardon program. The woman denied these claims, noting that she signed a paper on cooperation with prison authorities only.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Belarusian human rights defenders have declared five more people as political prisoners yesterday, Viasna reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of August 22, human rights defenders identified at least 1,187 political prisoners but the real number is considerably higher because many cases go undocumented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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