{"id":156103,"date":"2025-09-18T11:41:42","date_gmt":"2025-09-18T08:41:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/156103\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"reprisals-rights-groups-label-journalist-16-others-as-political-prisoners","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/156103\/","title":{"rendered":"Reprisals: rights groups label journalist, 16 others as political prisoners"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

September 18, Pozirk.<\/em> <\/strong>New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on September 17 as rights defenders added 17 people convicted on extremism-related charges to their political prisoner list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the recent additions is journalist Kiry\u0142 Pa\u017aniak, arrested on September 4, the Viasna Human Rights Center said. Two days ago, rights groups also restored political prisoner designation for prominent opposition politician Mika\u0142aj Statkievi\u010d, who refused to leave Belarus after being pardoned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday, Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka made several statements regarding his jailed opponents, including Statkievi\u010d. He confirmed that the dissident was \u201ctaken away\u201d from the border checkpoint but did not specify his exact whereabouts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities at the Viciebsk region\u2019s H\u0142ybokaje penal colony refused to inform Statkievi\u010d\u2019s wife Maryna Adamovi\u010d whether her husband was held there, promising a written response within 15 days, she said on Facebook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday, \u0141uka\u0161enka also shifted the blame to officials for refusing to release jailed Polish minority activist and journalist Andrzej Poczobut, according to a video by his press office\u2019s unofficial Telegram channel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Russian national Yaroslava Khromchenkova was given three years in prison on charges of facilitating extremism and discrediting the state, Viasna’s Homiel branch said. Rights defenders consider her a political prisoner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A total of 170 people have been pardoned since mid-January, including designated political prisoners, Viasna said, noting that 283 people were added to the political prisoners list in this period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At least 778 people have been convicted of inciting hatred since 2020, according to Viasna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of September 18, human rights defenders identified at least 1,182 political prisoners but the real number is considerably higher because of many undocumented cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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