{"id":172289,"date":"2026-01-20T11:56:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T08:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/172289\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"trials-arrests-digital-censorship-reported-on-january-17-19","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/172289\/","title":{"rendered":"Trials, arrests, digital censorship reported on January 17\u201319"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>January 20, <em>Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> Trials, arrests, digital censorship and new discriminatory legislative changes were among instances of politically motivated harassment documented between January 17 and 19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On January 17, the government enacted changes prohibiting people convicted of extremism-related crimes \u2014 charges commonly used to punish political opponents \u2014 from working in education. They are now treated the same as people convicted of drug-related crimes, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Homiel Regional Court issued a ruling in the trial of Mazyr resident Michail Pa\u0142oznik, who was accused of facilitating extremism. The outcome remains unknown, according to Viasna\u2019s Homiel branch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The information ministry expanded its list of \u201cextremist\u201d materials banned from distribution. Newly added accounts include <em>\u041b\u0435\u0433\u0456\u0451\u043d \u041c\u0456\u043a\u0430\u043b\u0430\u044f \u041b\u0443\u043a\u0430\u0448\u044d\u043d\u043a\u0456<\/em> on VK; <em>\u0411\u0435\u043b\u043e\u0440\u0443\u0441\u044b \u0432 \u041c\u043e\u0441\u043a\u0432\u0435 \/ \u0411\u0435\u043b\u0430\u0440\u0443\u0441\u044b \u045e \u041c\u0430\u0441\u043a\u0432\u0435<\/em> and <em>\u0412 \u0426\u0435\u043d\u0442\u0440\u0435 \u0415\u0432\u0440\u043e\u043f\u044b \u2013 \u041e\u043a\u0440\u0430\u0438\u043d\u0430 \u041c\u0438\u0440\u0430<\/em> on Facebook; <em>\u0411\u0435\u0441\u0435\u0434\u0430 \u0424\u043e\u0440\u0432\u0430\u0442\u0435\u0440\u0430<\/em> on Telegram; and <em>Malanka Action<\/em> on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hearing-impaired journalist Aleh Supruniuk, imprisoned on extremism-related charges, is not allowed to use his hearing aid at the facility, the Belarusian Association of Journalists reported, citing former political prisoner Alaksandar Fiaduta. Supruniuk is serving a three-year sentence at Penal Colony No. 15.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Kastry\u010dnicki District Court in Hrodna convicted 87 people of possessing extremist content, Viasna reported, citing a pro-government source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Activists have confirmed 163 arrests linked to the now-defunct Bie\u0142aruski Hajun resistance group, which monitored Russian military activity in Belarus from 2022 to 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As of January 19, human rights defenders had identified at least 1,145 political prisoners. The actual number is believed to be significantly higher due to numerous undocumented cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"insert-block\">\n\n    <div class=\"insert-block__img\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"354\" height=\"236\" src=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/belaruski_hajun_logo_1128x752-354x236.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/belaruski_hajun_logo_1128x752-354x236.jpg 354w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/belaruski_hajun_logo_1128x752-734x490.jpg 734w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/belaruski_hajun_logo_1128x752-178x118.jpg 178w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/belaruski_hajun_logo_1128x752-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/belaruski_hajun_logo_1128x752.jpg 1128w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 354px) 100vw, 354px\" \/>                        <label class=\"insert-block__tag--mobile\"> \u041f\u043e\u043b\u0438\u0442\u0438\u043a\u0430<\/label>\n\n                <\/div>\n    <div class=\"insert-block__text\">\n                    <label class=\"insert-block__tag\">\u041f\u043e\u043b\u0438\u0442\u0438\u043a\u0430<\/label>\n                <h3 class=\"insert-block__title\">At least 163 confirmed arrests in connection with Bie\u0142aruski Hajun<\/h3>\n        <div class=\"insert-block__descr\">January 19, Pozirk. Activists have confirmed 163 arrests over links to the now-defunct Bie\u0142aruski Hajun online initiative that monitored Russian military activities in Belarus from 2022 to 2025, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported. The total number of detainees in &#8230;<\/div>\n        <a class=\"insert-block__btn-block\" href=\"\/en\/news\/172196\">\n            <button class=\"btn\">\n                <div class='btn__text'>Read the article<\/div>\n            <\/button>\n        <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>January 20, Pozirk. Trials, arrests, digital censorship and new discriminatory legislative changes were among instances of politically motivated harassment documented between January 17 and 19. On January 17, the government enacted changes prohibiting people convicted of extremism-related crimes \u2014 charges commonly used to punish political opponents \u2014 from working in education. They are now treated [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83,"featured_media":63993,"template":"","rubric":[14],"class_list":["post-172289","articles","type-articles","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","rubric-politics"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Trials, arrests, digital censorship reported on January 17\u201319 | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"January 20, Pozirk. 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