{"id":67511,"date":"2024-02-16T12:09:04","date_gmt":"2024-02-16T09:09:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/api.pozirk.online\/?post_type=articles&p=67511"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"update-on-arrests-trials-politically-motivated-persecution-132","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/67511\/","title":{"rendered":"Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

February 16, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on February 15 as authorities kept targeting online dissident activities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Hrodna police arrested a cab driver on suspicion of signing up for the opposition Pieramoha plan, participating in protests and criticizing authorities online, pro-government Telegram channels reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Armed police officers arrested Ta\u0107ciana Aracho\u016dskaja from Naro\u016dla, Homiel region, upon her return to Belarus from Lithuania. In the police video, the woman admitted to insulting the authorities online, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Police also arrested Ale\u015b Masiuk from S\u0142onim, Hrodna region and seized documents during the search of his apartment, Viasna said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

A judge in Homiel convicted Vital S\u0142uka, an employee at the Spartak candy factory, for sharing opposition content, the Homiel branch of Viasna said. The exact sentence remains unknown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anatol Pry\u0161\u010dyk, 74, from Mika\u0161evicy, Brest region, was jailed for 15 days for reacting to an Odnoklassniki post about Belarusian opposition leader \u015aviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja, the Brest branch of Viasna said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pro-Russian activist Elvira Mirsalimava was due to go on trial in Viciebsk on February 15 on charges of gross violations of public order, but the electronic court website did not disclose any further details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On February 14, the Hrodna region’s judges heard several cases on charges of sharing opposition content, the Sudy, Zaderzhaniya. Grodno i Oblast<\/em> Telegram channel reported. Authorities did not disclose the verdicts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

On February 15, \u0141arysa Krupa and Ukrainian national Natalya Zakharenko went on trial in Homiel, Viasna reported. Authorities accuse Zacharenko of espionage and Krupa, of failing to report a crime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anton \u010caramnych, an artillery group’s ideology officer, is on trial in Minsk for allegedly committing high treason and inciting hatred, Viasna reported. He may be given a lengthy prison term of up to 20 years if convicted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ukrainian national Andrei Shmay went on trial in Viciebsk on charges of espionage and agent activity, Viasna said. He may also face a lengthy prison term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ivan Suchamiera\u016d’s trial opened in Homiel, Viasna reported. He faces 10 criminal charges, including high treason and participation in military actions. Authorities did not disclose any further details of the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Minsk City Court sentenced members of the ByPol resistance group to long prison terms in absentia, the Prosecutor General\u2019s Office said. Alaksandar Azara\u016d was given 25 years; Ma\u0107viej Kuprej\u010dyk, U\u0142adzimir \u017dyhar, Ihar \u0141oban, and Aleh Taler\u010dyk 12 years each; and Andrej Astapovi\u010d, 11 years. Authorities accused the exiled former law enforcers of trying to overthrow the government and inciting hatred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alaksandar \u0160ukaj\u0142a went on trial in Va\u016dkavysk, Hrodna region, on charges of gross violations of public order, a Telegram channel monitoring politically-motivated persecution in Hrodna and the Hrodna region reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Extremist” list update<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities branded several dozens of social media accounts as “extremist” content, the information ministry\u2019s website says. Blacklisted content includes europeanbelarus, julia_tarasevich, 9_avgusta and hajtaktv on Instagram, stolin.by and glosznadniemna.\u0440l websites, as well as social media of Voice_of_Belarus project, artist Volha Jakubo\u016dskaja and Kupa\u0142a\u016dcy, an exiled theatre company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Opposition activist \u015aciapan \u0141atypa\u016d contracted scurvy behind bars, Pozirk<\/em> reported. He is serving a lengthy prison term on charges widely seen as politically motivated and may be deprived of proper medical care and medications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The UN Human Rights Committee demanded urgent protection measures for prominent jailed opposition activists, including blogger Siarhiej Cichano\u016dski, lawyer Maksim Znak and former presidential hopeful Viktar Babaryka, Pozirk<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarusian human rights defenders declared seven more people political prisoners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of February 16, rights groups identified at least 1,419 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 16, Pozirk. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on February 15 as authorities kept targeting online dissident activities. Arrests Hrodna police arrested a cab driver on suspicion of signing up for the opposition Pieramoha plan, participating in protests and criticizing authorities online, pro-government Telegram channels reported. Armed police officers arrested Ta\u0107ciana […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":0,"template":"","rubric":[14],"class_list":["post-67511","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 16, Pozirk. 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