{"id":77768,"date":"2024-04-05T11:30:57","date_gmt":"2024-04-05T08:30:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/77768\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"update-on-arrests-trials-politically-motivated-persecution-157","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/77768\/","title":{"rendered":"Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

April 5, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on April 4 as authorities kept harassing jailed opponents and persecuting Belarusians for sharing opposition content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Riot police arrested Ja\u016dhien Mielni\u010duk in Brest for participating in 2020 postelection protests, Mediazona<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On April 2, police arrested Hanna Mana\u0142tajeva, a mother of four, in Vietka, Homiel region, the Homiel branch of the Viasna Human Rights Center reported. She was tried for sharing opposition content. The ruling is unknown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Late on April 3, the ONT<\/em> TV channel showed footage of Viasna’s volunteers arrests in the Brest region. Alaksandar Vajcie\u0161yk, Ale\u015b Ramanovi\u010d and Vital \u010copik have been in custody since March 28 for reportedly keeping track of the proceedings in politically-motivated cases. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In March, authorities released at least 32 people after they had served their sentences in full, Viasna said. Eight persons were given restricted freedom terms in home confinement and released from the pre-trial detention centers, including Iryna Sapryhina, U\u0142adzimir and Alaksandar \u0141yk\u0161yn, Piotr and Alena Patapovi\u010d. However, last month, judges usually sentenced defendants in politically-motivated cases to prison terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Siarhiej Kule\u0161 has been on trial in Pinsk, Brest region, since March 28, Viasna reported. Authorities accuse him of participating in mass riots. Three years ago, a Pinsk judge convicted 14 locals on similar charges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Dani\u0142a Smirno\u016d, Leanid Milkievi\u010d, D\u017amitryj Stasievi\u010d, D\u017amitryj Ka\u0161uba and U\u0142adzimir Jakunin went on trial in Hrodna for sharing opposition content, the Pravo Imeyut<\/em> Telegram channel said. The rulings are unknown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

On April 3, a judge in Ivacevi\u010dy, Brest region, considered a request to transfer Alaksandar Cialeha, serving a four-year term at the local penal colony, to prison, Viasna reported. The outcome is unknown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ryhor Kastusio\u016d, leader of the outlawed Belarusian Popular Front diagnosed with cancer, was placed in a prison cell immediately after doctors installed a urinary catheter, his son-in-law D\u017amitryj Anton\u010dyk said on Facebook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maryja Kale\u015bnikava, serving an 11-year prison term, is held in complete isolation in solitary confinement, Radyjo Svaboda<\/em> said. She reportedly did not regain weight after the emergency surgery in November 2023 and suffers from high blood pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interior Minister Ivan Kubrako\u016d had severely beaten Dzianis Varoza\u016d during his arrest in the fall of 2022 for hanging out Belarusian white-red-white and Ukrainian flags on an apartment building in Minsk, his former cellmate said. Varoza\u016d was given five years in prison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New political prisoners<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarusian human rights groups declared 13 people political prisoners, including D\u017amitryj Ku\u010duk, leader of the outlawed Belarusian Greens party, Viasna reported. They all were charged or convicted on protest-related charges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of April 5, human rights defenders identified at least 1,400 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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