{"id":45804,"date":"2023-02-22T12:49:38","date_gmt":"2023-02-22T09:49:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/api.pozirk.online\/articles\/update-on-trials-politically-motivated-persecution\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T20:29:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T20:29:13","slug":"update-on-trials-politically-motivated-persecution","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/45804\/","title":{"rendered":"Update on trials, politically-motivated persecution"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n <b>February 22, <span>BPN<\/span>.<\/b> New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on February 21.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t Criminal proceedings\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t A court in Hrodna sentenced Andrej Byka\u016d, 51, to five years in prison on six criminal charges for online comments, a Telegram channel monitoring politically-motivated persecution in Hrodna and the Hrodna region said. Authorities also fined Byka\u016d 1,850 rubels (over $660) and stripped him of his military rank of lieutenant colonel in the reserve.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t Authorities sentenced Ja\u016dhien Miro\u015b, 31, to two years in prison, and Leanid U\u0142asiuk, 61, to one year in prison, for online comments allegedly insulting Alaksandr \u0141uka\u0161enka, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t Leon Sa\u0142dacienka, a minor from \u017d\u0142obin, Homiel region, was given 18 months of restricted freedom in home confinement over 2020 protests.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t A court in Minsk sentenced Juryj Dzikovi\u010d to three years of restricted freedom in home confinement, D\u017amitryj Ple\u0161avienia and Siarhiej La\u016dko, to two and a half years each; Ludmi\u0142a Cybulskaja, to two years and three months. All four are from Pastavy, Viciebsk region, and were accused of participating in protests.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t A court in Hrodna started hearing the case against Pavie\u0142 Abozny, the European Muay Thai champion for alleged intentions to go fight Russia in Ukraine, a Telegram channel monitoring politically-motivated persecution in Hrodna and the Hrodna region said. Authorities accuse the athlete of smuggling prohibited substances across the border and participating in an armed conflict abroad.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t The Hrodna Regional Court closed to the public the trial against former policeman Andrej \u0160klar. He is charged with high treason and disclosing investigation data.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t Other instances of persecution\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t The Supreme Court will hear the appeal of D\u017amitryj \u0141uk\u0161a, a former anchor at the <span>Belarus 1 <\/span>TV channel, and four other defendants in his case on February 24,<span> BPN<\/span> reported. In December 2022, authorities sentenced \u0141uk\u0161a to four years in prison; his wife Palina Pa\u0142avinka, to two and a half years; Dzianis Jaro\u016dski, to 18 months; Kanstancin Nikanora\u016d, to three years of restricted freedom in home confinement. Another defendant in the case, Anastasia Jaro\u016dskaja did not attend the trial and is currently on the wanted list. Human rights groups consider \u0141uk\u0161a, his wife and Jaro\u016dski political prisoners.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t The Minsk City Court will hear journalist Juryj H\u0142ad\u010duk&#8217;s appeal on February 28, <span>Novy \u010cas<\/span> reported. Authorities sentenced him to two and a half years in prison over protests and insulting \u0141uka\u0161enka. He has been on trial since December 2022, but his verdict became known only on February 20.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t The Supreme Court will hear an appeal by Mika\u0142aj A\u016dtuchovi\u010d and other convicts in his criminal case, including activist U\u0142adzimir Hundar, on March 31, <span>BPN<\/span> reported. In October 2022, authorities sentenced 12 defendants in the \u201cA\u016dtuchovi\u010d case\u201d to lengthy prison terms.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t The Prosecutor General\u2019s Office said it referred to court a case against Kanstancin Za\u0142atych, director of the business monthly <span>Belorusy i Rynok<\/span>. Authorities accuse him of inciting hatred, abusing power and insulting \u0141uka\u0161enka and public officials in 2020.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t Released\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t Authorities released Andrej Aniskievi\u010d after he had served 18 months of restricted freedom at an open-type correctional facility over 2020 protests in Brest, Viasna said.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t As of February 22, human rights defenders identified at least 1,439 political prisoners.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>February 22, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on February 21. Criminal proceedings A court in Hrodna sentenced Andrej Byka\u016d, 51, to five years in prison on six criminal charges for online comments, a Telegram channel monitoring politically-motivated persecution in Hrodna and the Hrodna region said. Authorities also fined Byka\u016d 1,850 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":0,"template":"","rubric":[16],"class_list":["post-45804","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, politically-motivated persecution | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"February 22, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on February 21. 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New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on February 21. Criminal proceedings A court in Hrodna","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/45804\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Update on trials, politically-motivated persecution | Pozirk","og_description":"February 22, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on February 21. 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