{"id":2123,"date":"2023-08-18T12:36:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-18T09:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/api.pozirk.online\/?post_type=articles&p=2123"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"update-on-arrests-trials-politically-motivated-persecution-21","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/2123\/","title":{"rendered":"Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

August 18, BPN<\/em>.<\/strong> New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on August 17 as authorities blacklisted several Belarusian books as extremist content and kept punishing dissenters with prison terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arrests<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brest police arrested Arsie\u0144 Ku\u017amian\u010duk, accusing him of publicly displaying a swastika, pro-government sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since last week, at least nine people have been arrested in the town of Biaroza\u016dka, Hrodna region, BPN<\/em> reported. Authorities have not disclosed any details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An EPAM employee was arrested upon his return to Belarus from Lithuania, pro-government sources said, accusing him of riding on a motorcycle with protest symbols, following opposition Telegram channels and sharing their content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alaksandar \u017duk is under arrest in Va\u016dkavysk, Hrodna region, for allegedly sharing opposition content, pro-government sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Police arrested Andrej Ivaniu\u0161yn on suspicion of gross violations of public order, Mediazona <\/em>reported. In July, he was released after serving a two-and-a-half-year prison term for an altercation with policemen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Criminal proceedings<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On July 13, a judge in Mahilo\u016d sentenced Alaksandar Kuliko\u016d to three years in prison on charges of slandering and insulting Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka, MAYDAY.TEAM reported. He was arrested after returning to Belarus from Poland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

D\u017amitryj Makieje\u016d went on trial in Homiel on July 16, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported. Prosecutors say he donated \u20ac68 to the Warsaw-based Belsat TV <\/em>channel and $78 to the BySol solidarity fund deemed extremist by Belarus’ authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A judge in \u017d\u0142obin, Homiel region, sentenced Darja Karablina to 18 months of restricted freedom in home confinement for participating in 2020 protests, the Homiel branch of Viasna said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hienad\u017a Palanin, 71, was given two years of restricted freedom in home confinement for allegedly insulting \u0141uka\u0161enka, Viasna said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A judge in Homiel sentenced local businessman Juryj Ta\u0161kina\u016d to three years in prison on charges of inciting hatred and financing an extremist group, the Homiel branch of Viasna reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On July 26, Andrej Miahko\u016d was given 18 months of restricted freedom in an open-type correctional facility for a comment in an opposition Telegram chat allegedly insulting a public official, the Hrodna branch of Viasna said. He also has to pay a total of 5,700 rubels (over $1,780) in damages and fines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andrej Kopy\u0161a\u016d, Siarhiej Jasiu\u010denia and his wife Aksana were given two and a half years of restricted freedom in home confinement each for allegedly participating in protests, Viasna reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trials<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Catholic priest Antonij Adamovi\u010d from Pier\u0161amajsk, Hrodna region, was jailed for 13 days for sharing opposition content, pro-government sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Extremist content update<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On August 15, authorities blacklisted several books from the Bie\u0142aruski Knihazbor series as extremist content, BPN <\/em>reported. Among them are selected works by prominent Belarusian poets \u0141arysa Hieniju\u0161, Natalla Arsie\u0144nieva, and U\u0142adzimir Niaklaje\u016d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other blacklisted content includes two poems by the 19th-century writer, Vincent Dunin-Marcinkievi\u010d, the Prosecutor General’s Office said. Both date back to the time of the anti-Russian uprising in 1863 and describe Belarusians’ struggle for liberation from Russian imperial influence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other instances of persecution<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities placed jailed journalist and Polish minority activist Andrej Pa\u010dobut (Andrzej Poczobut) in the penal colony\u2019s internal prison for six months, his wife said on Facebook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Russian court approved the extradition of Belarusian Dzianis Chach\u0142o\u016d for allegedly exceeding the limit of stay without registration, Mediazona<\/em> reported. He is wanted in Belarus for participation in protests. His stepson U\u0142adzis\u0142a\u016d Lahucienka is currently serving a two-and-a-half-year restricted freedom term in home confinement on similar charges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of August 18, human rights defenders identified at least 1,491 political prisoners but the real number is considerably higher because many cases go undocumented. Opposition sources estimate the number of political prisoners at around 5,000.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

August 18, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on August 17 as authorities blacklisted several Belarusian books as extremist content and kept punishing dissenters with prison terms. Arrests Brest police arrested Arsie\u0144 Ku\u017amian\u010duk, accusing him of publicly displaying a swastika, pro-government sources said. Since last week, at least nine people have been arrested […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":0,"template":"","rubric":[14],"class_list":["post-2123","articles","type-articles","status-publish","hentry","rubric-politics"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nUpdate on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"August 18, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on August 17 as authorities blacklisted several\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/2123\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution | Pozirk\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"August 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