{"id":59943,"date":"2024-01-09T12:21:06","date_gmt":"2024-01-09T09:21:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/api.pozirk.online\/?post_type=articles&p=59943"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"update-on-arrests-trials-politically-motivated-persecution-107","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/59943\/","title":{"rendered":"Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

January 9, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on January 8 as authorities kept jailing Belarusians for sharing opposition content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arrested and released<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Homiel police arrested at least four people for sharing opposition content, the local branch of the Viasna Human Rights Center said. One of the arrested is Ihar Piesika\u016d from Sviet\u0142ahorsk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Police also arrested a welder over online comments, a pro-government Telegram channel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities released TikTok vlogger Andrej Biala\u016dski after he had served two years in prison for posting two videos that allegedly insulted \u0141uka\u0161enka, Viasna reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities also released Alena Jahory\u010dava after she had served a similar prison term on charges of participating in 2020 protests and threatening violence against a police officer, the Hrodna branch of Viasna said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trials<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alaksandar Illin, Siarhiej Kul\u0161a and D\u017amitryj Chala\u016dkin, members of the Belarusian rock band Nizkiz arrested on January 5, were tried in Mahilo\u016d for allegedly sharing opposition content, MAYDAYMog reported. The verdict is unknown. Human rights defenders say the trial was conducted via a video link and lasted for an hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In mid-December, a man from Kobryn, Brest region, was fined 1,480 rubels (about $463) over the Pahonia coat of arms on his car license plate, Zerkalo.io<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Around the same time, a woman was fined 3.700 rubels ($1,158) in Viciebsk for posting pictures with the white-red-white flag on social media in 2020, the Vitsebsk, Ya Gulayu<\/em> Telegram channel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On December 15, a judge in Lida, Hrodna region, fined a father of three underage children one of whom with a disability, 1,850 rubels for a white-red-white sticker on his apartment door, the Pravo Imeyut<\/em> Telegram channel reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Criminal proceedings<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Brest Regional Court resumed hearing a criminal case against Barys Vitko, 68, Viasna reported. A year ago, he was given two years of restricted freedom in home confinement for allegedly insulting a judge. Now the charges against him range from insulting Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka and public officials to inciting hatred and calling for sanctions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kiry\u0142 Kro\u0161kin, went on trial in Hrodna on charges of financing extremism, inciting hatred, participating in protests and insulting officials, the Pravo Imeyut<\/em> Telegram channel said. Authorities blacklisted him as a person “involved in terrorist activities,” while human rights groups consider him a political prisoner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Terrorist” list update<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Committee for State Security (KGB) added Alaksiej Krasnahir, Alaksandar Vituchno\u016dski and Ihar Fiedarenka to the list of “organizations and individuals involved in terrorist activities,” taking the total to 1,111 entries and 1,168 names, among them 400 Belarusians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other instances of persecution<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mahilo\u016d-based journalist Ale\u015b Sabale\u016dski remained in custody after serving a jail term, MAYDAYMog reported. Authorities might have transferred him to a detention center. The charges against are unknown. He has been under arrest since December 12.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A\u0142a Zujeva, 62, who has been diagnosed with cancer, was sent to the women’s prison in Homiel, Viasna said. In October, she was sentenced to two and a half years in prison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of January 9, human rights defenders identified at least 1,420 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 9, Pozirk. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on January 8 as authorities kept jailing Belarusians for sharing opposition content. Arrested and released Homiel police arrested at least four people for sharing opposition content, the local branch of the Viasna Human Rights Center said. One of the arrested is Ihar Piesika\u016d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83,"featured_media":0,"template":"","rubric":[16,15],"class_list":["post-59943","articles","type-articles","status-publish","hentry","rubric-politics","rubric-society"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nUpdate on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"January 9, Pozirk. 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