{"id":66701,"date":"2024-02-13T11:31:59","date_gmt":"2024-02-13T08:31:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/api.pozirk.online\/?post_type=articles&p=66701"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"update-on-arrests-trials-politically-motivated-persecution-129","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/66701\/","title":{"rendered":"Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

February 13, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus between February 10 and 12 as authorities continued to harass participants of 2020 postelection protests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Police arrested a lawyer employed at a farm in the \u0160\u010du\u010dyn district, Hrodna region, for sharing opposition content, a pro-government source said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Four residents of Baranavi\u010dy, Brest region, were arrested for participating in 2020 protests, according to a pro-government source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mahilo\u016d police arrested Alaksandar Chamko\u016d and his wife Volha who work at a private printing house and searched their homes and workplaces, MAYDAY.TEAM reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

On January 19, a judge in Minsk jailed an ice hockey fan for 13 days for shouting in public, pravo.by<\/em> said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Homiel activist Vasil Palako\u016d was tried for sharing opposition content for the second time since the start of 2024, the Homiel branch of the Viasna Human Rights Center said. In January, he had already served two 15-day jail terms on similar charges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aksana Chinievi\u010d was fined 800 rubels (about $250) for receiving aid through the INeedHelpBY initiative, Viasna said. A judge in Barysa\u016d, Minsk region, also ordered her to repay authorities 2,854 rubels ($886), the amount of aid she received. Chinievi\u010d was tried via video link as she fled Belarus after the arrest during the January 23 raid. Her son Alaksandar had earlier served a term in a politically-motivated case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Authorities filed criminal charges against Ja\u016dhien H\u0142u\u0161ko\u016d, a former journalist and cameraman from Mahilo\u016d, MAYDAY.TEAM reported. He has been in custody since early January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Belarusian national was arrested in Voronezh, Russia, on suspicion of setting fire to an electrical substation in Tula “on the instructions of the Ukrainian special services,” the Russian Federal Security Service said. Russian authorities accused the man of sabotage, a charge that carries a prison sentence of up to 20 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Minsk man was accused of hooliganism for damaging a stand with election campaign leaflets while being drunk, the Investigative Committee said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

On January 17, a judge in Minsk sentenced \u015ania\u017eana Marozava to two and a half years of restricted freedom in home confinement for participating in 2020 protests, Viasna reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jailed Pavie\u0142 Sava went on a new trial that may toughen his detention conditions, Viasna said. Rights defenders think that authorities accuse him of disobeying prison authorities. Sava is serving a 20-year prison term on terrorism-related charges, but his persecution is considered to be politically-motivated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ryhor Hu\u0144ko, serving a six-year prison term for participating in 2020 protests, went on a similar trial in Viciebsk, according to Viasna. He may be transferred to a closed prison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Viktar Barkiet went on trial in Hrodna on charges of inciting hatred, insulting Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka and public officials and abusing state symbols, the Sudy, Zaderzhaniya. Grodno i Oblast<\/em> Telegram channel reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ta\u0107ciana and Siarhiej \u010cy\u017e are also on trial in Hrodna, the same channel said.  Authorities accuse them of slandering \u0141uka\u0161enka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

The BySol Solidarity Foundation collected more than \u20ac6,500 in a fundraiser for blogger Volha Takar\u010duk, who recently fled Belarus fearing politically-motivated persecution, its head Andrej Stry\u017eak said on Telegram. The blogger’s mother was arrested and charged with facilitating extremism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarus-based users can no longer access the popular IT news website devby.i<\/em>o, formerly known as dev.by<\/em>, its team reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hrodna police officers search the homes of people who write letters to political prisoners claiming that they “support extremist groups,” the Sudy, Zaderzhaniya. Grodno i Oblast <\/em>Telegram channel said. No further details are reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year, the justice ministry filed liquidation suits against 11 political parties, 107 public associations, and two private foundations. It also issued warnings to 410 non-profits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of February 13, human rights defenders identified at least 1,417 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 13, Pozirk. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus between February 10 and 12 as authorities continued to harass participants of 2020 postelection protests. Arrests Police arrested a lawyer employed at a farm in the \u0160\u010du\u010dyn district, Hrodna region, for sharing opposition content, a pro-government source said.  Four residents of Baranavi\u010dy, Brest […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":0,"template":"","rubric":[14],"class_list":["post-66701","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 13, Pozirk. 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