{"id":59527,"date":"2024-01-06T22:36:49","date_gmt":"2024-01-06T19:36:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/api.pozirk.online\/?post_type=articles&p=59527"},"modified":"2026-02-24T20:40:57","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T20:40:57","slug":"update-on-arrests-trials-politically-motivated-persecution-105","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/59527\/","title":{"rendered":"Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

January 6, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on January 5 as authorities continued harassing critics.

Arrests

The interior ministry’s Brest-based special unit Storm detained a city resident for allegedly participating in the 2020 protests, a pro-government news source reported. It is unclear whether he faces criminal charges.

Security forces arrested tailor shop owner \u015aviat\u0142ana Dzieru\u017ekova for alleged protesting, Mediazona<\/em> reported. They released a video of the arrestee saying that she posted memes about the Belarusian authorities and “a neighboring state.”

Trials

A senior inspector from the Dziar\u017eenierhanahlad branch in the Hrodna region was sentenced to seven days in jail for subscribing to an “extremist” account on VKontakte, hrodna.life<\/em> reported. The energy watchdog’s unnamed official was found guilty of distributing extremist content.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Viasna reported that on December 14, \u017d\u0142obin resident Darja Zien\u010danka was sentenced to 18 months of restricted freedom, a type of home confinement, for allegedly disturbing public order.

A district judge in Brest is hearing a case against healthcare worker Aleh Zykun, accused of distributing personal data of interior ministry officers, Viasna Brest reported. Zykun has been in custody since September 18. Earlier in 2023, he served 12 days in jail after being found guilty of a minor offense under the Administrative Offenses Code.

The Minsk City Court started hearing a case against Ja\u016dhien Hurynovi\u010d, U\u0142adzimir \u017duromski and Viktar Novik behind closed doors, dissidentby.com <\/em>reported. The former customs officers were charged with nine counts, including abuse of power, high treason, and illegal handling of information about private life. The circumstances are unknown.

Criminal proceedings

Authorities opened a case against Minsk’s artist Hanna Kruk after she was detained on November 29, Viasna reported. The charges against her are unknown. Earlier, she was jailed for 13 days for displaying a picture with the banned white-red-white flag at a cafeteria. The artist pleaded not guilty.

Authorities charged Viciebsk’s activists Pavie\u0142 Levina\u016d, Iryna Traciakova and Taciana Filimonava with disturbing public order and put them on a wanted list, according to Viasna Viciebsk.

Extremism lists

The interior ministry added nine names to its list of supposed extremists, bringing the total to 3,664. They are Hieorhij \u010caravaka, detained in August 2023 under Article 361-3 (participation in an armed formation, armed conflict or military action in the territory of a foreign state; recruitment or preparation of persons for such participation); Alaksiej Ar\u0142o\u016d, sentenced to three years in prison for donations to solidarity groups; Vital Cydzik, sentenced to an unknown term for allegedly inciting hatred and disturbing public order; Alaksandar Havin, serving a sentence for allegedly insulting the head of state; U\u0142adzis\u0142a\u016d Nava\u017eanca\u016d, serving a sentence for allegedly inciting hatred and insulting a state servant and the head of state; Alaksandar Vituchno\u016dski, serving a sentence for allegedly inciting hatred and disturbing public order; and Vital Kaval\u010duk, Pavie\u0142 Bie\u0142anicki and Kaciaryna \u017duko\u016dskaja, all convicted of public order violations.

The Ministry of Information included Novy \u010cas<\/em>, a news and analysis website, and its social media in the national list of “extremist content.”

A district court in Viciebsk labeled over a dozen social media posts and accounts as extremist, Viasna reported. It banned posts by Roman Catholic Priest Via\u010das\u0142a\u016d Barok and the Telegram accounts of Belarusians in Tbilisi; Zabastovka. Shkolniki\/ Studenty\/ Prepodavateli<\/em>; Tvoi Vozmozhnosti<\/em>; Ma\u0142adaja Hramada<\/em>; and Chechersk<\/em>. It also banned the Odnoklassniki page Mika\u0161evi\u010dy i My<\/em> and the TikTok pages president.sveta<\/em>; belarus_sergej<\/em>; anti-communist<\/em>; annakanius<\/em>; lukashenko_yxadi<\/em>; honestpeopleby<\/em>; and tokbelarus<\/em>. The website and social media of the Association of Belarusian Business Abroad were also blacklisted.

Other

Authorities sent A\u0142a Zujeva, an elderly political prisoner suffering from cancer, to Women’s Colony No 4 (Homiel), according to Viasna. A judge sentenced her to 2.5 years for allegedly insulting a state servant and the head of state.

Release

Officials released political prisoner Ja\u016dhien Hali\u010d, a businessman from Homiel, after he served a two-year prison sentence for alleged disorderly conduct, defamation, and illegal handling of information about private life, Viasna Homiel reported.

As of January 6, human rights defenders identified at least 1,427 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":"

January 6, Pozirk. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on January 5 as authorities continued harassing critics. Arrests The interior ministry’s Brest-based special unit Storm detained a city resident for allegedly participating in the 2020 protests, a pro-government news source reported. It is unclear whether he faces criminal charges. Security forces arrested […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":0,"template":"","rubric":[14],"class_list":["post-59527","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=\"January 6, Pozirk. 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