{"id":47709,"date":"2023-07-22T11:00:37","date_gmt":"2023-07-22T08:00:37","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\/47709\/","title":{"rendered":"Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n <b>July 21,&nbsp;<span>BPN<\/span>.<\/b>&nbsp;New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on July 21 as authorities continue to arrest and try opposition supporters for social media activity and participation in 2020 post-election protests.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t Arrests\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t Police arrested Andrej Znoska, a Roman Catholic priest, in Lida, Hrodna region, on July 19, <span>Chryscianskaja Vizija<\/span> reported. It is unclear whether he has been charged.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t In Fanipal, Minsk region, police arrested Nikita Skarabahatyj, a 23-year old man, on suspicion that he participated in 2020 post election protests, pro-government sources reported.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t In Re\u010dyca, Homie\u0142 region, police arrested Jaras\u0142a\u016d Kuzievi\u010d and Valeryj Mundzia\u0142a. Pro-government sources have released a confession video with the two men saying that they had been outraged by the official result of the 2020 presidential election, had attended opposition candidate \u015aviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja\u2019s rallies and opposition protests and had subscribed to \u201cextremist\u201d Telegram channels.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t Trials\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t Judges fined Kryscina Bu\u0142anava, a mother of three, in Viciebsk on May 11 and Maryja Dzekanava, dean of the IT faculty at Polack State University, in Navapolack on May 30 for alleged anti-government social media posts, the Viciebsk branch of the Viasna Human Rights Center reported.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t The Minsk Regional Court sentenced Aleh Dabrydnie\u016d, 17, Kiryl Balachona\u016d, Alaksandar Rukojc and U\u0142adzisla\u016d Jefimovi\u010d to prison terms of three to three and a half years for alleged association with Sajuz Bie\u0142aruskaha Nacyjanalnaha \u0160\u010dyta (the Belarusian National Shield Union), a group labeled by authorities extremist, Viasna reported.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t The interior ministry added 20 names to its list of extremists bringing the total to 3,068. The additions include Kanstancin Za\u0142atych, Mediarynok CEO and director of the business monthly&nbsp;<span>Belorusy i Rynok<\/span>; Valeryja \u010carnamorcava, who researched GULAG, the Soviet network of forced labor camps; blogger Alaksandar Hurnik; and teenager Alaksandar \u015aliapnio\u016d.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t Political prisoners freed\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t Leanid Sudalenka, a Homiel-based veteran human rights defender, was released after serving his three-year sentence in full, Viasna reported.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t In November 2021, a court in Homiel found Sudalenka, who helped protesters in the Homiel region to write complaints and pay fines, guilty of organizing and financing&nbsp;protests.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t Another political prisoner known to have been released is Volha Ja\u0142cievi\u010d, a Dok\u0161ycy-based lawyer sentenced to two years for helping protesters pay fines and attorney services, <span>volhaklas <\/span>reported.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t Human rights defenders said that at least 1,473 political prisoners were behind bars late on July 20. 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":"<p>July 21,&nbsp;BPN.&nbsp;New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on July 21 as authorities continue to arrest and try opposition supporters for social media activity and participation in 2020 post-election protests. Arrests Police arrested Andrej Znoska, a Roman Catholic priest, in Lida, Hrodna region, on July 19, Chryscianskaja Vizija reported. It is unclear whether [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":0,"template":"","rubric":[16],"class_list":["post-47709","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=\"July 21,&nbsp;BPN.&nbsp;New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on July 21 as authorities continue to arrest and try\" \/>\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\/47709\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Update on arrests, 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