{"id":174935,"date":"2026-02-10T11:25:42","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T08:25:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/174935\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"reprisals-targeted-over-9360-people-in-criminal-cases-since-2020","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/174935\/","title":{"rendered":"Reprisals target over 9,360 people in criminal cases since 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

February 10, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> At least 9,363 people have faced politically-motivated criminal prosecution since May 2020, according to the Viasna Human Rights Center. Rights groups say the reprisals are ongoing, with recent cases involving extremism charges and terrorist designations against opponents of the current political regime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The trial of Viktoryja Bakunovi\u010d will open in Minsk on February 24 without the defendant being present, Viasna reported. The woman is accused of setting up an extremist group and facilitating extremist activities over alleged links to Xinkalik <\/em>online group for drivers, which was blacklisted in Belarus in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hrodna region\u2019s investigators filed 384 criminal cases over extremism-related crimes last year, Hrodnenskaja Pra\u016dda<\/em> reported. A total of 68 cases involving 65 men and six women were forwarded to courts. Since 2020, the Hrodna region\u2019s courts have received more than 600 similar cases, with 148 individuals currently wanted in connection with the alleged offenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, regional prosecutors filed 156 requests to recognize websites and social media accounts as extremist content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Committee for State Security (KGB) added nine individuals to its list of \u201cpersons involved in terrorist activity\u201d last week, Pozirk <\/em>reported. They were convicted of calling for sanctions and inciting hatred, charges that authorities routinely use to silence regime critics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pavie\u0142 Kuncevi\u010d, a father of four, serving a four-year prison term on charges of calling for sanctions, was given eight additional months in prison for alleged disobedience, DissidentBy <\/em>reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of February 10, human rights defenders identified at least 1,144 political prisoners, but the real number is considerably higher because many cases go undocumented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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