{"id":54265,"date":"2023-12-08T13:13:11","date_gmt":"2023-12-08T10:13:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/api.pozirk.online\/?post_type=articles&p=54265"},"modified":"2026-02-24T20:40:57","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T20:40:57","slug":"update-on-arrests-trials-politically-motivated-persecution-87","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/54265\/","title":{"rendered":"Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

December 8, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on December 7.

Arrests

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) claims to have detained a Belarusian in the Omsk province on suspicion of terrorism. He reportedly confessed that on the instructions of a Belarusian national living in Lithuania under the supervision of Ukrainian secret services, he took eight explosive devices out of a cache, delivered them to Buryatia in his private car, and placed them on rail tank cars. The RBC<\/em> news website quoted the FSB as saying that he blew up trains carrying petroleum products in the Russian Far East. The man may face up to 20 years in prison if convicted, according to Russian media. He is also being investigated for involvement in other acts of sabotage on Russian territory.

Two men were arrested in Hrodna, a pro-government news outlet and Pravo Imeyut<\/em> reported. One of them is event organizer Michai\u0142 Ma\u0144kievi\u010d. Law enforcers released a video of him saying that he was suspected of distributing “extremist” content but subscribed to the banned media “by accident.” Another man is an unnamed design engineer. He said that he was arrested for subscribing to “extremist” blogs “under the influence of 2020.” Both are held in a detention facility.

Law enforcers arrested the director of the country club Fiestyvalny, Mediazona<\/em> and a pro-government news outlet reported. According to the culture ministry’s register, his name is Hienad\u017a Vieramiej\u010dyk. Authorities released a video of him saying that he “took part in marches” in 2020 and removed all state flags at tourist facility. His charges and whereabouts are unknown.

Law enforcers reported the detention of a Hrodna resident and posted a video of him being thrown on the sidewalk by three policemen. The detainee said that he signed up for the opposition’s Victory Plan (Pieramoha) in 2021 and also distributed “extremist” content on social media, according to Mediazona<\/em> and a pro-government Telegram channel.

Law enforcers arrested the CEO of Energie GmbH, a Mercedes-Benz dealership, Viasna reported. He allegedly forced his workers to participate in illegal rallies by threatening to withhold bonuses or fire them. The detainee said that he participated in a rally in 2020 and also transferred 1,200 rubels (some $360 at the current exchange rate) to a solidarity foundation. According to information available in the public domain, the CEO of Energie GmbH is Siarhiej Dani\u0142ovi\u010d.

Police arrested former journalists of the Ranak<\/em> TV in \u015aviet\u0142ahorsk, Homel region. Communication was lost with correspondent Ludmi\u0142a Andenka, former editor in chief Julija Da\u016dletava and director Alena \u0160\u010derbina. Authorities also arrested two other women on extremism charges and took them to the detention facility in \u017d\u0142obin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On June 11, eight Ranak<\/em> employees were briefly detained in \u015aviet\u0142ahorsk. The station covered the explosion at the \u015aviet\u0142ahorsk Pulp and Cardboard Mill (three people died). In September, the TV channel was declared an “extremist organization,” former Ranak<\/em> employee Andrej Lipski and Viasna Homiel reported.

Trials

Jula Chrapavickaja, an employee of a fitness center in the H\u0142ybokaje district, was fined 925 rubels. Law enforcers found banned content on her Odnoklassniki page. The mother of two minors pleaded guilty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A judge imposed a fine of 740 rubels on Ina Jurhiel, a mother of many children from the Ukrainian town of Volnovakha, for distributing “extremist” content, Viciebsk, Ya Gulyayu<\/em> reported.

The Dubro\u016dna District Court in the Viciebsk region sentenced Siarhiej Ka\u0142basa\u016d, a tractor driver and a father of four, to a day in jail for subscribing to Usio ab Dubro\u016dna<\/em>, an “extremist” community on Odnoklassniki. In 2019, Ka\u0142basa\u016d was praised by a local newspaper for his supreme performance during the harvest campaign, Viciebsk, Ya Gulyayu<\/em> reported.

The H\u0142ybokaje District Court sentenced Arciom Kry\u016dko, a father of two, to eight days for liking “extremist” posts on Odnoklassniki. Previously, his mother Alena Kry\u016dko had been sentenced to eight days for distributing “extremist” content. She liked several “extremist” pages on Odnoklassniki and posted a photo of the opposition white-red-white flag, according to Viciebsk, Ya Gulyayu<\/em>.

Human rights activists learned that on September 28, a district court in Minsk sentenced Alaksandar Kandra\u0107je\u016d to one year in prison for insulting state symbols. According to the indictment, Kandra\u0107je\u016d tore the state flag from the dormitory of the Minsk Civil Aviation Plant, Viasna said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Criminal cases

Authorities pressed charges against Hienrych Aka\u0142atovi\u010d, the detained Roman Catholic priest in Va\u0142o\u017eyn, Minsk region. He has spent more than 20 days in detention and suffers from a serious illness, katolik.life<\/em> reported. He may be charged with espionage or high treason, but this has not been confirmed so far.

Political prisoners

Human rights defenders designated 22 more people as political prisoners, Viasna reported. They are Pavie\u0142 Sa\u0142ahub, Vital Cydzik, Andrej Ihnatovi\u010d, U\u0142adzimir Hrybana\u016d, Ihar Barysa\u016d, Siarhiej Rudzianko\u016d, Aleh Kaz\u0142o\u016d, Maksim Mnacakana\u016d, Piotar Jarma\u0161uk, Andrej Savinski, Snia\u017eana Cadava, Aleh Jermakovi\u010d, Juryj Minin, Ja\u016dhien Pielachaty, Ja\u016dhien \u0160\u010darbina, Valancin Dubro\u016d\u0161\u010dyk, Mikita Sciapurka, Aleh Sy\u010do\u016d, Anastasija Pilko, \u0141arysa Ku\u010dynskaja, Alaksandar Ku\u010dynski, and Andrej Sciapurka.

Other

Political prisoner Pavie\u0142 Ku\u010dynski suffers form a Hodgkin’s lymphoma (Stage IV), Viasna reported. Despite his cancer, he has been imprisoned for almost two years. Ku\u010dynski has been sent to the national hospital in Kaladzi\u010dy for chemotherapy, but the disease is progressing. Doctors consider bone marrow transplantation, but it is impossible to do it in prison. Ku\u010dynski has tried to petition Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka for clemency.

As of December 8, human rights defenders identified at least 1,473 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":"

December 8, Pozirk. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on December 7. Arrests The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) claims to have detained a Belarusian in the Omsk province on suspicion of terrorism. He reportedly confessed that on the instructions of a Belarusian national living in Lithuania under the supervision of Ukrainian […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":0,"template":"","rubric":[16],"class_list":["post-54265","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=\"December 8, Pozirk. 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