{"id":45373,"date":"2023-01-18T11:58:33","date_gmt":"2023-01-18T08:58:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/api.pozirk.online\/articles\/update-on-trials-and-politically-motivated-persecution\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T20:29:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T20:29:13","slug":"update-on-trials-and-politically-motivated-persecution","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/45373\/","title":{"rendered":"Update on trials and politically-motivated persecution"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n <b>January 18, <span>BPN<\/span>. <\/b>New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on January 17.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t Criminal proceedings\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t A court in Homiel sentenced Alaksandr Puha\u010d to three and a half years in prison for online comments, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t Authorities accused him of inciting hatred, insulting Alaksandr \u0141uka\u0161enka and public officials and threatening them with violence. A court also ordered damages against Puha\u010d. Human rights groups consider him a political prisoner.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t A court in Minsk sentenced Pavie\u0142 Ramien\u010dyk to two and a half years of restricted freedom in home confinement over his participation in the 2020 protests, Viasna said.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t The Minsk City Court opened proceedings against members of the opposition\u2019s Coordinating Council without the defendants being present, <span>BPN<\/span> reported. Opposition leader Sviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja and four other regime critics face a total of 12 criminal charges, including high treason and conspiracy to seize power.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t Authorities closed to the public the trial of lawyer Vital Brahiniec, accused of forming an extremist group, calling for sanctions, inciting hatred and participating in protests, Viasna said.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t Other instances of persecution\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t Prominent opposition politician Mika\u0142aj Statkievi\u010d, currently serving a 14-year prison term on politically-motivated charges, is in solitary confinement again, his wife Maryna Adamovi\u010d said.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t Prison authorities placed Siarhiej La\u016dkajcis, serving a three-year term after being convicted of hooliganism, in a punishment cell for allegedly writing poems about prison events, Viasna said.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t Extremist list updates\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t Authorities blacklisted a book with archival documents on everyday life in Western Belarus following its annexation to the Soviet Union in 1939.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t Authorities also branded several local Telegram channels, sticker packs and social media accounts, including Ivie. NOVOSTI, by_help Molo and Molodechno Chat, as extremist content, <span>BPN<\/span> reported.&nbsp;\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t Dissidents released\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t Authorities released U\u0142adzimir Niaronski, a S\u0142uck-based vlogger and close associate of Siarhiej Cichano\u016dski, Viasna reported. He had served in full a three-year prison sentence given for allegedly participating in protests and insulting public officials.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t Political prisoner Mika\u0142aj Sierhijenia had also served in full his 20-month prison sentence given for online comments and was released.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t As of January 18, human rights defenders identified at least 1,436 political prisoners.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>January 18, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on January 17. Criminal proceedings A court in Homiel sentenced Alaksandr Puha\u010d to three and a half years in prison for online comments, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported. Authorities accused him of inciting hatred, insulting Alaksandr \u0141uka\u0161enka and public officials and threatening [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":0,"template":"","rubric":[16],"class_list":["post-45373","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 trials and politically-motivated persecution | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"January 18, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on January 17. 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