{"id":180391,"date":"2026-03-21T12:44:32","date_gmt":"2026-03-21T09:44:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/180391\/"},"modified":"2026-03-21T12:44:34","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T09:44:34","slug":"reprisals-lukasenka-orders-security-services-to-monitor-freed-dissidents","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/180391\/","title":{"rendered":"Reprisals: \u0141uka\u0161enka orders security services to monitor freed dissidents"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

March 21, Pozirk. <\/em><\/strong>Yesterday, authorities started releasing jailed regime critics pardoned by Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka following his talks with John Coale, US special envoy for Belarus, on March 19, the Viasna Human Rights Center said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As many as 235 were allowed to stay in Belarus, while 15 were taken to Lithuania. Of those who remain in Belarus, \u201c30 to 40 people may pose a threat, but they are under the control\u201d of the security services and the police, Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s press office reported yesterday, quoting him as saying. The Belarusian ruler publicly denied that 15 individuals taken out of Belarus were given the option to stay in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the releases, new cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on March 19 and 20 as police arrested Catholic priest Anatol Parachnievi\u010d from the Minsk region\u2019s Vilejka district, Chry\u015bcijanskaja Vizija <\/em>reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier this month, rights defenders also reported the arrests of several believers, with four of them still being held behind bars, as well as five Ukrainian refugees who received assistance from the churches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Police arrested a man in Minsk for political reasons, Viasna Hsaid, noting that his identity and other case-related details are not disclosed for safety reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Extremist designations<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarusian information ministry branded 20 social media accounts as extremist content, including Belsat Life <\/em>and BelaPAN<\/em> on Facebook and the Telegram channel by the Euro-Atlantic Affairs Agency linked to opposition politician Valeryj Kavale\u016dski.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently blacklisted content also featured two books by Russian American historian Yuri Felshtinsky and Belarusian author Pavie\u0142 Ancipa\u016d as well as several songs and musicians\u2019 social media pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarus\u2019 interior ministry added 22 names to its list of extremists, taking the total of entries on the register to 6,424. The additions include designated political prisoners Alaksandar Bigiel, serving 18 months in prison on defamation- and extremism-related charges, and Ilja Dzindzika\u016d, imprisoned for three years in the Bie\u0142aruski Hajun case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

The Telegram channel linked to opposition politician Mika\u0142aj Statkievi\u010d, released last month after a stroke, reported that he had been placed in solitary confinement six times for six-month terms. The politician also spent a total of one year in a punishment cell. Statkievi\u010d believes that detention conditions caused his stroke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two days ago, unknown individuals hacked the Belarusian-language version of Radyjo Racyj<\/em>a\u2019s website, while the English and Polish versions were not affected, the Belarusian Association of Journalists said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publishers D\u017amitryj Ko\u0142as, Vac\u0142a\u016d Bahdanovi\u010d and his daughter Viktoryja, as well as book distributor Ale\u015b Ja\u016ddacha, arrested earlier this month in a crackdown on publishers, were transferred to the Committee for State Security\u2019s (KGB) pre-trial detention center, Na\u0161a Niva <\/em>reported. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of March 21, human rights defenders identified at least 1,113 political prisoners, but the real number is considerably higher because many cases go undocumented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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