{"id":187439,"date":"2026-05-14T10:27:46","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T07:27:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/187439\/"},"modified":"2026-05-14T14:14:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T11:14:32","slug":"reprisals-officials-keep-using-extremism-charges-to-silence-critics","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/187439\/","title":{"rendered":"Reprisals: officials keep using extremism charges to silence critics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

May 14, <\/strong>Pozirk<\/strong>.<\/em> New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on May 13 as a judge in Homiel sentenced Stanis\u0142a\u016d Pryhodzi\u010d to five years in prison without him being present at the trial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The man was also ordered to pay a fine of 4,500 rubels ($1,620), the Viasna Human Rights Center said. Charges against him included inciting hatred, discrediting the state, insulting Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka and officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a different case, Viktoryja Pata\u0161kina from Homiel was found guilty on extremism-related charges, Na\u0161a Niva<\/em> reported. The sentence remains unknown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarusian authorities also kept using \u201cextremist\u201d designations to harass exiled initiatives and activists. The Committee for State Security (KGB) labelled The Krama Store, Znivien brand and LVS. Language School as \u201cextremist\u201d groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The information ministry announced \u201cextremist\u201d content designations for 18 social media pages, including BELPOL <\/em>on TikToK, solibel.no<\/em> on Instagram and Valanciorski Centr Sustre\u010da<\/em> on Facebook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities released U\u0142adzimir Durada\u016d, the former deputy head of the Mahilo\u016d City Executive Committee, who had been given seven and a half years in prison on economic charges, Na\u0161a Niva <\/em>reported. Dudara\u016d led Viktar Babaryka\u2019s regional campaign headquarters in 2020 and was arrested in June that year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarusian investigators searched the apartment of activist Vasil Ple\u0161kuno\u016d in Mahilo\u016d, MAYDAY.TEAM<\/em> reported. His participation in the Coordination Council election could have been the cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the last six months, Russia added 1,118 Belarusians, including seven journalists, to its database of wanted people, Mediazona <\/em>reported. In all, the database features nearly 6,000 Belarusians. Some of them are wanted for political reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of May 14, human rights defenders identified at least 847 political prisoners, but the real number is considerably higher because many cases go undocumented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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