{"id":57306,"date":"2023-12-24T14:46:18","date_gmt":"2023-12-24T11:46:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/api.pozirk.online\/?post_type=articles&p=57306"},"modified":"2026-02-24T20:40:57","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T20:40:57","slug":"human-rights-groups-declare-15-political-prisoners-including-former-prosecutor","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/57306\/","title":{"rendered":"Human rights groups declare 15 political prisoners, including former prosecutor"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n (unsplash.com \/ Ye Jinghan)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

December 24, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> Belarusian human rights organizations have declared 15 more people political prisoners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a statement released by the Viasna Human Rights Center yesterday, the organizations granted this status to five men prosecuted under Article 293 of the Criminal Code (mass riots):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Siarhiej Botvi\u010d (five years’ imprisonment)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Pavie\u0142 Niavyh\u0142as (14 months)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Kiry\u0142 Maciuta (sentence unknown)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Arciom Janko\u016dski (charged)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Maksim Varniel (charged)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    and to 10 others prosecuted under Article 342 (active participation in acts that seriously undermine public order):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • Juryj Dabrachota\u016d (two years and also accused of possessing marijuana under Article 328 Part 1)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Alaksandar \u0141yk\u0161yn (his detention was reported in early December. Reports named him as a founder of Pismo.bel, a service for sending letters to prisoners, and a protester. Sentence unknown)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • U\u0142adzimir \u0141yk\u0161yn (Alaksandr \u0141yk\u0161yn’s brother. Sentence unknown)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Hanna \u010carkas (sentence unknown)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Tamara Astrejka (charged),<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • \u0141arysa Katovi\u010d (sentence unknown)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Ksienija Ry\u017eyk (sentence unknown)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Kaciaryna Cevan (sentence unknown)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Eldar Safara\u016d (detained last week together with his wife. In 2010, he prosecuted high-profile activist Mika\u0142aj A\u016dtuchovi\u010d. He resigned in the fall of 2020 amid anti-government protests)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Julija Stankievi\u010d (a lawyer married to Safara\u016d)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      The groups demanded that the authorities immediately release all political prisoners and stop reprisals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Besides Viasna, the statement was signed by the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, the Barys Zvozska\u016d Human Rights House, the Office for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Belarusian Association of Journalists, Pravavaja Inicyjatyva, and Human Constanta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      As of this afternoon, human rights activists have identified at least 1,497 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 24, Pozirk. Belarusian human rights organizations have declared 15 more people political prisoners. In a statement released by the Viasna Human Rights Center yesterday, the organizations granted this status to five men prosecuted under Article 293 of the Criminal Code (mass riots): and to 10 others prosecuted under Article 342 (active participation in acts […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":53161,"template":"","rubric":[16],"class_list":["post-57306","articles","type-articles","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","rubric-politics"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHuman rights groups declare 15 political prisoners, including former prosecutor | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"December 24, Pozirk. Belarusian human rights organizations have declared 15 more people political prisoners. 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