{"id":62533,"date":"2024-01-23T12:54:06","date_gmt":"2024-01-23T09:54:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/api.pozirk.online\/?post_type=articles&p=62533"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"update-on-arrests-trials-politically-motivated-persecution-116","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/62533\/","title":{"rendered":"Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

January 23, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus from January 20 to January 22 as authorities seek to punish every manifestation of dissent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arrests<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Police arrested a woman who runs the Vioska Live<\/em> blog on Instagram accusing her of having a “Nazi tattoo,” a pro-government source said. Her name and date of arrest remain unknown but the blog is being updated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

On January 12, a judge in Navapo\u0142ack, Viciebsk region, jailed Barys Kazielski for 15 days after the man expressed his pro-Ukraine views in a phone conversation with a police official in late December, the Vitebsk, Ya Gulayu! Novosti Vitebska<\/em> Telegram channel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A judge in Smarho\u0144, Hrodna region, tried Kaciaryna Seviaryn and Maryja Bernart-Varani\u0161\u010da on charges of sharing opposition content, a Telegram channel monitoring politically-motivated persecution in Hrodna and the Hrodna region reported. The outcome is unknown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities dismissed Alaksandar Ba\u0142o\u0161ka as chairman of a pro-government trade union cell in Homiel after he had served a 10-day jail term in December for sharing opposition content, Flagshtok<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In late December, Viciebsk judge Michai\u0142 Jur\u010danka acquitted Eduard Tarkano\u016dski accused of following six opposition Telegram channels, the Viciebsk branch of the Viasna Human Rights Center reported. The defendant pleaded not guilty, saying that he did not store content for sharing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

On December 20, a Minsk judge sentenced Natalla A\u017enova from \u0141ahojsk, Minsk region, to two and a half years of restricted freedom in home confinement for participating in a 2020 postelection rally, Viasna said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alaksandar Bojka was given two and a half years in prison for sharing footage of military equipment in a Telegram chat, Viasna said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Minsk City Court started hearing a case against alleged members of the exiled ByPol resistance group without the defendants being present, Pozirk<\/em> reported. Charges against Alaksandar Azara\u016d, U\u0142adzimir \u017dyhar, Maciej Kuprej\u010dyk, Ihar \u0141oban, Andrei Astapovi\u010d and Aleh Taler\u010dyk range from inciting hatred and insulting officials to high treason, forming an extremist group, committing terrorist acts and conspiracy to seize state power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jailed Vadzim Husie\u016d is on trial in Va\u016dkavysk, Hrodna region for allegedly disobeying prison authorities, Viasna said. Earlier, he was sentenced to 15 months in prison on charges of insulting a public official after a conviction of illegal drug trafficking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dzianis Kra\u015bko went on trial in Brest on charges of inciting hatred for three posts in the Usy Lukashenko<\/em> Telegram channel, the Brest branch of Viasna said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aliaksandar Malika\u016d\u2019s trial will open today in Lida, Hrodna region, the Sudy, Zaderzhaniya. Grodno i Oblast<\/em> Telegram channel reported. Authorities accuse him of insulting an official.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Prison authorities placed jailed opposition activist \u0179micier Da\u0161kievi\u010d in a punishment cell, Poizirk<\/em> reported. He reportedly has to get up several times at night to exercise and keep himself warm there. Da\u0161kievi\u010d serves a one-year sentence for allegedly defying prison administration orders after spending 18 months in prison for taking part in a protest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maryja Kale\u015bnikava, a presidential campaign manager serving an 11-year prison term on charges widely seen as politically motivated, was placed in the penal colony’s internal prison, hrodna.life<\/em> reported. The reasons remain unknown. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Volha Majorava’s health deteriorated in prison, according to hrodna.life<\/em>. She reportedly suffers from throat issues, but the medical staff of Homiel women’s penal colony would not help her. Majorava is serving 20 years in prison after being convicted in a politically-motivated terrorism case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of January 23, human rights defenders identified at least 1,408 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 23, Pozirk. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus from January 20 to January 22 as authorities seek to punish every manifestation of dissent. Arrests Police arrested a woman who runs the Vioska Live blog on Instagram accusing her of having a “Nazi tattoo,” a pro-government source said. Her name and date […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83,"featured_media":0,"template":"","rubric":[16],"class_list":["post-62533","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 23, Pozirk. 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