{"id":162854,"date":"2025-11-04T11:56:14","date_gmt":"2025-11-04T08:56:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/162854\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"reprisals-regime-critics-face-extremism-charges-over-online-activities","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/162854\/","title":{"rendered":"Reprisals: regime critics face extremism charges over online activities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

November 4, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus in the first three days of this month, with at least 115 confirmed arrests in the Bie\u0142aruski Hajun case, the Viasna Human Rights Center said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the real number of people persecuted for sharing pictures of Russian military equipment movement with the now-defunct resistance group may be a lot higher, as arrests continue across Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of them was Homiel pastor Aleh \u0141ojka, who was sentenced to three and a half years in prison on extremism-related charges. His appeal was rejected, according to Viasna. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dozens of people are also facing criminal charges over participation in local online chats that emerged as grassroots initiatives during the 2020 postelection protests. Criminal charges against them usually include facilitating extremist activities and plotting to seize power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last month, seven people in Hrodna region\u2019s Smarho\u0144 and nine residents of Va\u016dkavysk were sentenced to prison terms and fines in similar cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarusian authorities routinely use extremism designations to silence critical voices, with 89 additions to the official extremist register over the past two months, Viasna said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pressure on jailed dissidents<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Activist Pavie\u0142 \u0160pietny, serving a six-year prison term on charges widely seen as politically motivated, was given two additional years in prison for alleged misbehavior, the AChK Belarus<\/em> Telegram channel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anarchist activist Siarhiej Ramana\u016d, serving a 24-year prison term in a politically-motivated case, was hospitalized and underwent a planned surgery, the Pravo na Vosstaniye<\/em> Telegram channel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ihar Alinevi\u010d, also serving a lengthy prison term in a similar case, was transferred to the internal prison at Penal Colony No 20 in Homiel region\u2019s Mazyr district, after being held in a punishment cell for two months, the same channel reported. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Law enforcers searched the \u0160arka\u016d\u0161\u010dyna home of journalist Andrej Buka in the Viciebsk region and seized his laptop and smartphone to cover a fine from a minor offense case, he said on Facebook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Delegates to the UN Human Rights Council\u2019s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) expressed concern about Belarus\u2019 deteriorating human rights situation at hearings in Geneva yesterday. They demanded the release and full exoneration of political prisoners, a review of \u201canti-extremist\u201d laws and an end to reprisals against civil society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of November 4, human rights defenders identified at least 1,240 political prisoners but the real number is considerably higher because many cases go undocumented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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