{"id":65236,"date":"2024-02-06T12:39:29","date_gmt":"2024-02-06T09:39:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/api.pozirk.online\/?post_type=articles&p=65236"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"update-on-arrests-trials-politically-motivated-persecution-125","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/65236\/","title":{"rendered":"Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

February 6, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus between February 3 and 5 with more harassment reported in connection with shared opposition content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Police arrested Viktoryja Kutuzava, a transgender woman, for sharing opposition content, a pro-government source said. Last summer, she had served a 15-day jail term on similar charges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Riot police arrested two brothers in Va\u016dkavysk, Hrodna region, for allegedly sharing opposition content and participating in 2020 postelection protests, the Pravo Imeyut<\/em> initiative said. One of them reportedly works at the Bie\u0142\u0142akt milk processing plant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Five former high-ranking police officers were arrested in \u017dodzina, Minsk region, including former head of \u017dodzina criminal police Ihar Kislak and former deputy head of the city police Via\u010das\u0142a\u016d Ilji\u010d, ex-press.live<\/em> reported. Andrej Daro\u0161ka, Vital Paprocki and D\u017amitryj Udovin are also among the arrested. In 2020, the retired officers recorded an appeal to their colleagues against the violence and human rights abuses. The charges against them remain unknown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seven people were arrested at the Nioman glassworks in Biaroza\u016dka, Hrodna region, for sharing opposition content, the Zaderzhaniya, Dudy v Lide<\/em> Telegram channel reported. The three men were jailed for 15 days, while the four women were fined 1,200 rubels (about $372) each.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At least three persons from the Hrodna region are under arrest for donations to the opposition initiatives, a pro-government sources said. To avoid heavy prison sentences, they \u201ccompensated\u201d for the wrongdoing by making donations to charities indicated by authorities, the sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

On January 25, a judge in Lida jailed a man for 10 days and confiscated his smartphone for sharing opposition content, Pravo Imeyut<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Hrodna man was fined 1,200 rubels ($372) on similar charges, the same initiative said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New criminal charges<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities accused Aksana Ju\u010dkovi\u010d, a Christian activist and former journalist with catholic.by, of gross violations of public order and placed her in Prison No 8 in \u017dodzina, Chry\u015bcijanskaja Vizija<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exiled theater director Ja\u016dhienija Davydzienka faces similar charges for participating in 2020 protest rally in Minsk, she said on Instagram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Viktoryja Kul\u0161a may be accused of disobeying prison authorities, a charge used twice against her in 2023, the Viasna Human Rights Center said. She is serving a total prison term of four and a half years. Human rights groups consider her a political prisoner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

On January 24, a judge in Lida sentenced Alaksandar Malika\u016d to 18 months of restricted freedom in an open-type correctional facility and a fine of 4,000 rubels (over $1,240) for allegedly insulting an official, Viasna reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arciom Vajciachovi\u010d, 15, was given a three-year suspended prison sentence in the fall of 2023, Mediazona<\/em> reported. Rights groups consider him a political prisoner. His brother, exiled activist Siarhiej Vajciachovi\u010d, who allegedly administered a railway worker community’s Telegram channel, says authorities take revenge against him by persecuting Arciom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

U\u0142adzimir Vara\u0161enia went on trial in Hrodna on charges ranging from inciting hatred and insulting Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka to threatening violence against officials, Haradzienskaja Pravaabarona<\/em> said. Authorities also blacklisted him as a person “involved in terrorist activities.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

D\u017amitryj \u0160a\u0142ak, a rock musician and employee at the Naftan oil refinery in Navapo\u0142ack, Viciebsk region, is on trial on charges of insulting \u0141uka\u0161enka and officials, the Vitebsk, Ya Gulayu!<\/em> Telegram channel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lieutenant Colonel Anton \u010caramnych will go on trial behind closed doors on February 15 in Minsk, Viasna reported. Authorities accuse him of high treason and inciting hatred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Officials in S\u0142onim, Hrodna region, have been visiting people who have underage children and were persecuted in politically-motivated cases in 2023, the Sudy, Zaderzhaniya. Grodno i Oblast<\/em> Telegram channel reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A judge in Viciebsk refused to hear a case against Barys Chamajda, 76, informing him that it had not been received by the court, the activist said on Facebook. On February 2, the man was fined 600 rubels ($186) for sharing opposition content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Human rights defenders recorded at least 4,500 convicts in politically-motivated criminal cases, while the total number of victims, including suspects and defendants, may exceed 5,730, according to Viasna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarusians collected more than $3,700 for the family of Alaksandar Kuvannika\u016d, who died in Poland. Kuvannika\u016d was the only Hrodna tobacco factory worker to go on strike in 2020, hrodna.life<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of February 6, human rights defenders identified at least 1,413 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":"

February 6, Pozirk. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus between February 3 and 5 with more harassment reported in connection with shared opposition content. Arrests Police arrested Viktoryja Kutuzava, a transgender woman, for sharing opposition content, a pro-government source said. Last summer, she had served a 15-day jail term on similar charges. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83,"featured_media":0,"template":"","rubric":[14],"class_list":["post-65236","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=\"February 6, Pozirk. 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