{"id":72394,"date":"2024-03-12T13:37:12","date_gmt":"2024-03-12T10:37:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/72394\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"political-crackdown-at-least-40-arrests-in-brest-malaryta","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/72394\/","title":{"rendered":"Political crackdown: at least 40 arrests in Brest, Malaryta"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

March 12, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus between March 8 and 11, with at least 40 arrests reported in Brest and Malaryta over subscriptions to opposition content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arrested and released<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belsat TV<\/em> reported that most of those arrested in Brest and Ma\u0142aryta were jailed for 15 days for following opposition content. Some of the arrested have recently returned to Belarus from abroad, truck drivers among them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Police-linked Telegram channels have released new videos of arrests and confessions recorded under duress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One video features blogger and musician Locha Pavuk\u2019s confession to sharing opposition content. Police forced him to sing the national anthem before the camera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In another video, police accuse a Mahilo\u016d man of sharing opposition content on Odnoklassniki.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Police also arrested swimmer D\u017amitry \u0160\u010demier for a white-red-white sticker and Pray for Belarus slogan on his smartphone cover, Na\u0161a Niva<\/em> reported. Investigators accuse him of participating in 2020 postelection protests and placing opposition stickers in public areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Viktar Pancialeje\u016d, Maksim Zinievi\u010d and Alaksandar Cimafieje\u016d are free after serving prison terms over 2020 protests in Brest, the Brest branch of the Viasna Human Rights Center reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

A judge in Navapo\u0142ack, Viciebsk region, jailed U\u0142adzis\u0142a\u016d Biendzika\u016d for 15 days for following Volny Chor (Free Choir) on YouTube, the Vitebsk, Ya Gulayu!<\/em> Telegram channel reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andrej Sia\u016druk, Juryj Kakareka, Alena Hryhien\u010da, Alesia Siar\u017ean and Juryj Alchovik went on trial in Hrodna and the Hrodna region for sharing opposition content, the Pravo Imeyut<\/em> Telegram channel said. Michai\u0142 Salej was tried for allegedly violating rules governing mass events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

A 39-year-old man from Haradok, Viciebsk region, faces charges of abusing state symbols for tearing down a state flag and throwing it on the ground, the Investigative Committee said. The man was reportedly drunk during the incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

A judge in \u017dodzina, Minsk region, added 18 months to Aleh Rubiec\u2019s sentence for allegedly disobeying prison administration, Viasna reported. In 2021, Rubiec was given five and a half years in prison for his role in the postelection protests. Since then, he has spent about 200 days a punishment cell. Rights groups consider him a political prisoner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Minsk judge sentenced triathlete Valancina Zelankievi\u010d to two years of restricted freedom in home confinement, Tribuna <\/em>reported. She moved to Moscow following the crackdown on protesters and was arrested during one of her visits to Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trade unionist Volha Brycikava’s trial opened in Viciebsk behind closed doors, Viasna reported. Authorities accuse her of inciting hatred. Earlier, the woman was repeatedly arrested for her anti-war stance and sharing opposition content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ivan Padlipienca\u016d went on trial in Hrodna on charges of setting up an extremist group, inciting hatred, and insulting Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka and officials, Viasna said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u015aviat\u0142ana Karol, 64, is on trial behind closed doors in Homiel, Viasna reported. Charges against her include slandering \u0141uka\u0161enka and inciting hatred. In 2020, the woman was a member of the Homiel branch of the Coordinating Council for Political Crisis Settlement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On March 12, a judge in Or\u0161a, Viciebsk region, is expected to rule on the transfer of jailed Ivan Zia\u0144ko to a closed prison, Viasna said. He is serving a six-year prison term on charges widely seen as politically motivated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Extremist” list update<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities blacklisted several opposition social media pages as “extremist” content, including the Telegram channels Sport v Strane bez nasiliya, IDSMBEE. ORG, Soligorskaya igra, Delo truba, the AZOV VKontakte page, the Malanka Novosti and Misha Gypsynkov TikTok accounts, according to the information ministry. Other blacklisted content includes fruman.info and a video address by Belarusian doctors protesting violence as well as a Telegram post about Brest policeman Andrej Chviasiuk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Police accused blogger Vital U\u015bcinovi\u010d of posting insulting online comments in 2020, a pro-government source said. He is held at the Viciebsk pre-trial center, but the exact charges against him remain unclear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ihor Kovalchuk, a former rector of the Orthodox parish in Raha\u010do\u016d, Homiel region, left Belarus after serving two jail terms for alleged minor offenses, Chry\u015bcijanskaja Vizija reported. Kovalchuk, a Ukrainian national, was arrested on February 8 upon returning from Italy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Palina \u0160arenda-Panasiuk spent 20 days in a punishment cell in February, Mediazona<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Minsk Economic Court liquidated the BelaPAN<\/em> private company that founded the oldest Belarusian news agency with the same name, the Prosecutor General\u2019s Office reported. Its press office cited alleged \u201crepeated and gross violations of tax legislation.\u201d The news agency stopped operating in Belarus in November 2021 after the Committee for State Security (KGB) blacklisted it as an extremist group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of March 12, 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\n\n\n

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