{"id":65958,"date":"2024-02-09T11:59:06","date_gmt":"2024-02-09T08:59:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/api.pozirk.online\/?post_type=articles&p=65958"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"update-on-arrests-trials-politically-motivated-persecution-128","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/65958\/","title":{"rendered":"Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

February 9, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on February 8 as authorities kept harassing dissenters, jailed opponents and exiled opposition activists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Michai\u0142 Zakira\u016d was arrested in Va\u016dkavysk, Hrodna region, for participating in 2020 postelection protests, the Sudy, Zaderzhaniya. Grodno i Oblast<\/em> Telegram channel reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minsk police arrested Stanis\u0142a\u016d Rado\u016dski for following opposition content, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported. In a police video, he admitted to sharing this content and signing up for the opposition Pieramoha Plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A man from Po\u0142ack, Viciebsk region, is under arrest for posting a comment about the late Or\u0161a police chief Siarhiej Barvianko\u016d, Viasna said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Former political prisoner Alaksiej Ramana\u016d, arrested during the January 23 raid, was jailed for 15 days for the second consecutive time, Radyjo Svaboda<\/em> reported. He suffers from cancer and several chronic diseases, and has to take medications regularly and follow a diet. He was briefly hospitalized three times during the first 15 days in jail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Siarhiej Hardzijevi\u010d, a journalist based in Drahi\u010dyn, Brest region, was released after serving a 15-day jail sentence for sharing banned content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

The prosecutor requested a 25-year prison term for Alaksandar Azara\u016d, a defendant in the case targeting alleged members of ByPol resistance group, Viasna said. U\u0142adzimir \u017dyhar, Maciej Kuprej\u010dyk, Ihar \u0141oban, Andrei Astapovi\u010d and Aleh Taler\u010dyk may face prison terms of 11 and 12 years if convicted. They all are currently based abroad and are tried in absentia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A judge in Brest sentenced Viktar Astapuk to 18 months of restricted freedom in home confinement and a fine of 4,000 rubels ($1,240) on charges of insulting a public official, Viasna reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Natalya Zakharenko, a volunteer from Ukraine’s Chernihiv, will go on trial behind closed doors in Homiel on February 15, Na\u0161a Niva<\/em> reported. In 2022, she helped Ukrainians leave Belarus. Zakharenko is a defendant in an espionage case along with \u0141arysa Krupa, the electronic court schedule said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Political prisoners<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andrej Pa\u010dobut (Andrzej Poczobut), a jailed journalist and Polish minority activist, has been held incommunicado and has not received a single parcel since mid-2023 when he had been transferred to Penal Colony No 1 in Navapo\u0142ack, Viciebsk region, Radyjo Svaboda<\/em> reported. He may have spent most of his time there in the colony\u2019s internal prison. The Polish foreign ministry declared freeing Pa\u010dobut a priority in a statement marking the anniversary of his sentencing on February 8.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women received a complaint about inhuman detention conditions of jailed opposition activist Palina \u0160arenda-Panasiuk, Respect-Protect-Fulfill rights group said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Investigative Committee said Ihar Parunkievi\u010d faces charges of inciting hatred and threatening violence against police under special proceedings that target exiled activists. The former bar owner from Pastavy, Viciebsk region, left Belarus a few years ago fearing politically-motivated persecution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of February 9, human rights defenders identified at least 1,421 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\n\n\n

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