{"id":45328,"date":"2023-01-14T20:30:16","date_gmt":"2023-01-14T17:30:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/api.pozirk.online\/articles\/update-on-arrests-trials-politically-motivated-persecution\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T20:29:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T20:29:13","slug":"update-on-arrests-trials-politically-motivated-persecution","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/45328\/","title":{"rendered":"Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>January 14, <span>BPN.<\/span><\/b> New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on January 13.<\/p>\n<p> Arrests<\/p>\n<p> The Investigative Committee confirmed that former presidential candidate Andrej D\u017amitryje\u016d is under arrest. The investigators suspect him of gross violation of public order. D\u017amitryje\u016d \u201ctook an active part in street riots in Minsk between August and September 2020,\u201d the Investigative Committee charged. It added that the politician crossed Belarus\u2019 border a total of 599 times, 33 times after 2020. D\u017amitryje\u016d\u2019s contacts with Westerners and the USA \u201cmay indicate coordination of his \u2018political\u2019 activities from abroad,\u201d the investigators said, noting that D\u017amitryje\u016d \u201cwas in contact with the US Department of State and its former head Hillary Clinton.\u201d Media reported D\u017amitryje\u016d\u2019s arrest on the evening of January 11.<\/p>\n<p> Law enforcers arrested tour guides Ale\u015b Varyki\u0161, Natalla \u017ddanok and Ivan Sacukievi\u010d, <span>Radyjo Svaboda<\/span> reported. They were taking 80 people to the rite of the Christmas Tsars in the village of Siemie\u017eava, Kapyl district. \u017ddanok was later released.<\/p>\n<p> Mayday.team reports that the Belarusian State University of Food and Chemical Technologies\u2019 lecturer, professor Juryj Bubno\u016d, who has a doctorate in social sciences, was arrested at his workplace in Mahilo\u016d on January 12. He was in charge of the humanities department. He co-founded the Center for Urban Initiatives and the Dranik Fest.<\/p>\n<p> The Viasna Human Rights Center reports that culturologist Aksana Zareckaja, a member of the Coordinating Council for Political Crisis Settlement, was arrested at the end of December.<\/p>\n<p> Siarhiej Hierasimienia, the director of a store in Babrujsk, has been held in a detention facility since December 14, accused of inciting hatred for speaking out in support of Ukraine, Viasna reported. The facility\u2019s administration doesn\u2019t give him a mattress and a pillow.<\/p>\n<p> A month and a half ago, law enforcers arrested Siarhiej Kozie\u0142, a history teacher at Minsk\u2019s school No 30, Viasna reported. He is held in the detention center on Va\u0142adarskaha Street in Minsk.<\/p>\n<p> Police arrested S\u0142onim resident Pavie\u0142 Sieva\u015b\u0107jan for keeping \u201cextremist content\u201d on Facebook. A judge gave him time to find a lawyer, and the next hearing will be held on January 20, Viasna reported.<\/p>\n<p> A district court in Minsk sentenced an unnamed local man to 15 days in jail. It ruled that wearing a beanie with the Pahonia court of arms amounted to an unauthorized picket. <\/p>\n<p> The Committee for State Security\u2019s (KGB) investigations directorate said a criminal case against 18 people accused of terrorist acts, including the attack on the house of MP Aleh Hajdukievi\u010d, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, was passed to the Prosecutor General\u2019s Office for a charging decision. The suspects include Vadzim Prakopje\u016d, an aide to the opposition cabinet\u2019s defense chief Valer Sacha\u0161\u010dyk, and Ihar \u010camiakin, a former member of the interior ministry\u2019s elite unit Almaz, who live abroad.<\/p>\n<p> The Brest Regional Court sentenced Jury Ka\u015bciuk, 25, to four years in prison for helping political prisoners receive aid. Judge \u015aviat\u0142ana Kramianie\u016dskaja ruled it amounted to support of extremist activity. The Viasna Human Rights Center reported that the man pleaded not guilty and refused to testify. The Belarusian authorities have been intimidating the Brest resident since 2020. In 2022, he was put on the international wanted list and arrested in the Russian resort town of Sochi. Russia deported him on October 16. In protest against one deportation attempt he cut his stomach at the airport.<\/p>\n<p> A court in Minsk sentenced journalists \u015ania\u017eana Inaniec and Alaksandr \u0141y\u010da\u016dka to two and three years of restricted freedom, a type of home confinement, the Belarusian Association of Journalists reported. They were charged with organization of\/active participation in group actions grossly disturbing public order. The husband and wife reporters were freed in the courtroom. They had been arrested in October 2022. \u0141y\u010da\u016dka, a local history enthusiast, cooperated with <span>The Village<\/span>. Inaniec, a former <span>Tut.by<\/span> journalist, worked at <span>Onliner.by<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p> \u201cExtremist\u201d content<\/p>\n<p> The KGB added three more people to its list of individuals and entities involved in terrorist activities. They are: a recognized political prisoner, former EPAM employee Siarhiej Kiryjenka, 38; Michai\u0142 \u0160akura\u016d, 67; Mika\u0142aj Amiel\u010danka, 33. All three were convicted for inciting hatred. There are a total of 996 people on the terrorist list, 253 Belarusian nationals among them. <\/p>\n<p> The interior ministry added 30 people, including convicted journalist Ksienija \u0141uckina, to its own list of people involved in \u201cextremist activities.\u201d The list now has 2,311 entries.<\/p>\n<p> A court in Minsk declared 12 books extremist, Viasna reported. A third of them were written by historian Anatol Taras. The list:<\/p>\n<p> \u201cBelarus Above All! (On Belarus\u2019 National Idea)\u201d by Anatol Taras;<\/p>\n<p> \u201c1942, the Year of Training\u201d by U\u0142adzimir Bie\u0161ana\u016d;<\/p>\n<p> \u201cForgotten Belarus\u201d by Vadzim Dzieru\u017eynski;<\/p>\n<p> \u201cNotes of the Vac\u0142a\u016d \u0141asto\u016dski Society of Belarusian History Lovers. Issue Six. The \u2018Russian World\u2019 Challenge and Belarus\u201d by Anatol Taras; <\/p>\n<p> \u201cBig Blood: How the USSR Won the War of 1941-1945\u201d by Sergey Zakharevich;<\/p>\n<p> \u201cNational and Cultural Life in Belarus During the War (1941-1944)\u201d by Leanid \u0141y\u010d;<\/p>\n<p> \u201cPost-Soviet Transition: Between Democracy and Dictatorship. A Collection of Articles\u201d by Anatol Taras;<\/p>\n<p> \u201cBelarus\u2019 Humanitarian Security. Conference Materials\u201d;<\/p>\n<p> \u201cShadow of Victory\u201d by Viktor Suvorov;<\/p>\n<p> \u201cPages of the Past: Articles on the History of Belarus\u201d by Anatol Taras;<\/p>\n<p> \u201cTransformation of Belarusians\u2019 Mentality in 21st Century. Conference Materials\u201d;<\/p>\n<p> \u201cThe Assassination of Wilhelm Kube \u2013 Who, How and Why\u201d by Aleh Usa\u010do\u016d.<\/p>\n<p> Other news<\/p>\n<p> Prison guards in Hrodna threaten those convicted in the high-profile A\u016dtuchovi\u010d case with solitary confinement, force them to undress in a cold room, push and beat them. The whereabouts of Baranavi\u010dy\u2019s prisoner U\u0142adzimir Hundar (disabled, lost his leg) have been unknown for a week.<\/p>\n<p> Rabo\u010dy Ruch reports that arrested legal adviser Alaksandr Kap\u0161ul has been on hunger strike since December 31, demanding that his pre-trial detention center should treat him justly.<\/p>\n<p>As of January 14, human rights defenders identified at least 1,445 political prisoners.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>January 14, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on January 13. Arrests The Investigative Committee confirmed that former presidential candidate Andrej D\u017amitryje\u016d is under arrest. The investigators suspect him of gross violation of public order. D\u017amitryje\u016d \u201ctook an active part in street riots in Minsk between August and September 2020,\u201d the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":0,"template":"","rubric":[16],"class_list":["post-45328","articles","type-articles","status-publish","hentry","rubric-politics"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"January 14, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on January 13. 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