{"id":2637,"date":"2023-09-21T11:43:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-21T08:43:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/api.pozirk.online\/?post_type=articles&p=2637"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"update-on-arrests-trials-politically-motivated-persecution-25","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/2637\/","title":{"rendered":"Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

September 21,\u00a0Pozirk<\/em>.\u00a0<\/strong>New instances of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on September 20 with reprisals targeting people sharing opposition content as well as jailed activists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Police arrested at least nine people in Homiel, \u017d\u0142obin and Re\u010dyca for following opposition content, a pro-government source said. One of the arrested is Homiel’s activist \u015aviat\u0142ana Karol has been charged with slandering Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hrodna police arrested software engineer Andrej Burdzienia for online comments allegedly insulting \u0141uka\u0161enka, officials and Russian military servicemen, a Telegram channel monitoring politically-motivated persecution in Hrodna and the Hrodna region reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A man (his name has not been disclosed) is under arrest for allegedly participating in 2020 protests, signing up for the opposition Pieramoha plan and sharing information with the opposition groups, a pro-government source said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Police arrested a student of Belarusian National Technical University over online comments and participation in protests, a pro-government Telegram channel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Judges in the Hrodna region completed hearing cases against Vital Janu\u0161kievi\u010d and Juryj Sakiel charged with sharing opposition content, Sudy, Zaderzhaniya. Hrodna i Oblast reported. Authorities have not disclosed the verdicts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New criminal cases<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A man in Babrujsk, Mahilo\u016d region, was charged with abusing state symbols, the Investigative Committee said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

The Homiel Regional Court sentenced businesswoman Viktoryja Ha\u016drylina to three years and three months in prison and fined her 3,700 rubels ($1,135) on charges of financing extremism and sharing personal data, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported. Human rights defenders consider her a political prisoner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A judge in Minsk sentenced Andrej Prata\u0161\u010dyk to two years of restricted freedom in home confinement and fined him 7,400 rubels ($2,270) for allegedly insulting an official, Viasna said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jailed opposition activist Palina \u0160arenda-Panasiuk will go on a new trial on October 2 in Re\u010dyca, Homiel region, the electronic court schedule says. It will be her second trial on charges of disobeying prison authorities. In 2021, authorities sentenced her to a three-year prison term on charges widely seen as politically motivated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Detention conditions<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jailed journalist Ja\u016dhien Mierkis, sentenced to four years in prison on extremism-related charges, was transferred to the penal colony in \u0160k\u0142o\u016d, Mahilo\u016d region, the Belarusian Association of Journalists reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities transferred vlogger Aleh Kanava\u0142a\u016d, currently serving a five-year prison term, to a closed prison, Viasna said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Convicted Rabo\u010dy Ruch (Labor Movement) activists were transferred to correctional facilities to serve their lengthy prison sentences. U\u0142adzimir \u017dura\u016dka and Alaksandar Kap\u0161ul were given 15 years in prison; Andrej Pahieryla, Siarhiej \u0160elest and Alaksandar Ha\u0161nika\u016d, 14 years; Siarhiej Dziuba, Ihar Minc, Valancin Cieranievi\u010d and Siarhiej \u0160ame\u0107ka 12 years; and Hanna Ab\u0142ab 11 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

The Supreme Court satisfied the justice ministry’s request to dissolve the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada),\u00a0Pozirk<\/em>\u00a0reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of September 21, human rights defenders identified at least 1,500 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":"

September 21,\u00a0Pozirk.\u00a0New instances of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on September 20 with reprisals targeting people sharing opposition content as well as jailed activists. Arrests Police arrested at least nine people in Homiel, \u017d\u0142obin and Re\u010dyca for following opposition content, a pro-government source said. One of the arrested is Homiel’s activist \u015aviat\u0142ana Karol has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83,"featured_media":0,"template":"","rubric":[14],"class_list":["post-2637","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=\"September 21,\u00a0Pozirk.\u00a0New instances of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on September 20 with reprisals targeting people\" \/>\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\/2637\/\" \/>\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 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