{"id":163643,"date":"2025-11-11T11:54:54","date_gmt":"2025-11-11T08:54:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/163643\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"reprisals-arrests-in-bielaruski-hajun-case-continue-2","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/163643\/","title":{"rendered":"Reprisals: arrests in Bie\u0142aruski Hajun case continue"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

November 11, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> Rights defenders reported continuing persecution of those who shared information with the now-defunct Bie\u0142aruski Hajun defense monitoring initiative: U\u0142adzimir Patapienka, founder of Midi.by <\/em>music school, was arrested a few days after he arrived in Belarus from Poland, the Viasna Human Rights Center said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Founded after the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Bie\u0142aruski Hajun monitored military activity in Belarus. The project folded in February, soon after unknown individuals gained access to its chatbot. Rights defenders have confirmed at least 122 arrests to date, though the actual number is believed to be significantly higher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other cases of politically-motivated persecution documented in Belarus from November 6 to 10 included criminal charges against U\u0142adzimir Barada\u010d, 73, a former special forces commander who has been living in Germany for more than 15 years. Belarusian law enforcers searched his Minsk apartment, but have not disclosed accusations against him, the man said on Facebook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Barada\u010d participated in a public investigation into the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of former Interior Minister Juryj Zacharanka in 1999. Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka stripped him of the rank of colonel four years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maksim \u0160ukana\u016d, a blogger from Mazyr, Homiel region, and his fianc\u00e9e Palina Zyl were sentenced to four and one year in prison, respectively, Na\u0161a Niva<\/em> reported. Zyl is held in a pre-trial detention center in another criminal case. Both had lived undercover in Belarus, fearing politically-motivated persecution. \u0160ukana\u016d\u2019s father is serving a prison term over participation in the 2020 postelection protests and online comments. Rights groups consider him a political prisoner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Prosecutor General\u2019s Office filed a lawsuit against journalist Ihar \u0141osik, a former political prisoner pardoned two months ago,\u00a0seeking nearly $7 million in damages, \u0141osik said on Facebook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Former presidential hopeful Viktar Babaryka faced ill-treatment at a penal colony in Viciebsk region\u2019s Navapo\u0142ack between the summer of 2022 and the spring of 2023, \u0141osik said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities put up for auction a Brest apartment belonging to jailed human rights defender Vital \u010copik, according to e-auction.by.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At least 37 people persecuted on charges widely seen as politically motivated were sent to compulsory psychiatric treatment as of November 10, Viasna said, adding that 21 imprisoned dissidents are currently subjected to such treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of November 11, human rights defenders identified at least 1,235 political prisoners but the real number is considerably higher because many cases go undocumented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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