{"id":175932,"date":"2026-02-17T01:16:14","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T22:16:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/175932\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"at-least-one-more-politically-motivated-conviction-and-new-trial","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/175932\/","title":{"rendered":"At least one more politically motivated conviction and new trial"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

February 16, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> The conveyor belt of political repressions continued to roll in Belarus between February 14 and February 16, with at least one known \u201cextremism-related\u201d conviction and one new criminal trial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In particular, Minsk resident Karyna Barduchaj has been found guilty of \u201cfacilitating extremism\u201d under the Criminal Code\u2019s Article 361.4 and sentenced to either prison or an open-type correctional institution. The sentence may be part of the ongoing crackdown on Bie\u0142aruski Hajun, a now-defunct online initiative that monitored Russian military activities in Belarus from 2022 to 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On February 16, D\u017amitryj Banita went on trial in absentia in the Brest Regional Court. The 40-year-old man stands accused of a raft of \u201cextremist\u201d offences, including inciting hatred, insulting an authority figure, using or threatening violence against a police officer, slander and disclosing personal data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarusian human rights defenders have identified eight more political prisoners, taking their total to 1,150, said the Viasna Human Rights Center. The actual number of political prisoners is considerably higher because many cases remain undocumented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In particular, D\u017amitryj Barsuko\u016d, Ihar Hubarevi\u010d, Pavie\u0142 Vah\u0142ako\u016d, Vital Novika\u016d, Alaksandar Sul\u017eyc, Siarhiej Lahvinovi\u010d, Vital Ku\u0161niarovic and Alaksandar Chazieje\u016d were convicted of facilitating extremism. Chazieje\u016d was also convicted of calling for sanctions and insulting and defaming the head of state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A panel of judges of the Supreme Court of Belarus has rejected an appeal against lengthy prison sentences imposed on a group of young people who had allegedly plotted terrorist attacks on instructions from the Ukrainian Security Service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Brest Regional Court earlier sentenced Maryya Mysyuk to 13 years in prison, Siarhiej \u017dyhalo\u016d and Trafim Barysa\u016d to 12 years in prison, D\u017amitryj Zacharo\u0161ka to 10 and a half years in prison, and Alaksandra Pulinovi\u010d to 10 years and three months in prison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ta\u0107ciana Kanie\u016dskaja, a campaign aide to \u015aviatlana \u0421ichanouskaja during the 2020 presidential election, has been released from prison after completing her six-year term. She was found guilty of \u201cparticipating in mass disorders\u201d and \u201coccupying administrative buildings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blogger Pavie\u0142 Spiryn, \u0421ichanouskaja\u2019s campaign aide who was released from prison at the end of 2025 after serving out his term of four and a half years, has moved from Belarus to Lithuania. He had been convicted of inciting hatred and had his prison term extended for allegedly violating prison rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n
\n \"\"