{"id":78429,"date":"2024-04-09T11:51:28","date_gmt":"2024-04-09T08:51:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/78429\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"update-on-arrests-trials-politically-motivated-persecution-159","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/78429\/","title":{"rendered":"Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

April 9, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus from April 6 to 8 as authorities punished Belarusians for online activities and kept intimidating opponents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Police arrested a father and son for opposition views and anti-police tattoos, pro-government sources reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A man was arrested for commenting on the March 22 attack on a concert hall in Moscow, the Viasna Human Rights Center said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Judge D\u017amitryj Karsiuk said that in 2023 at least 10 people were fined or jailed for chanting protest slogans at Zybickaja Street, known as a party district in downtown Minsk, Minsk-Novosti<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Former policeman Ja\u016dhien Cichana\u016d, arrested upon his return to Belarus, will go on trial in Minsk on April 9, the electronic court schedule says. Authorities accuse him of insulting Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka and officials, inciting hatred and being a member of an extremist group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mika\u0142aj Makryca will go on trial on April 11 for allegedly disclosing official secrets, the Vitebsk, ya gulayu!<\/em> Telegram channel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ivan Suchamiera\u016d was given 10 years in prison on 10 criminal charges, including terrorism, Flagshtok<\/em> reported. A native of Pietryka\u016d, Homiel region, Suchamiera\u016d was arrested upon his return to Belarus and tried behind closed doors. Rights groups consider him a political prisoner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A judge in Stolin, Brest region, sentenced ex-journalist Alaksandar Ihnaciuk, to six years in a medium-security prison and fined him 8,000 rubels (about $2,460) on charges of extortion and gross violations of public order, Viasna reported. Authorities also confiscated his laptop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Naftan oil refinery employee Kiry\u0142 Barstok from Navapo\u0142ack, Viciebsk region, was jailed for 25 days in late March for online comments, Na\u0161a Niva<\/em> reported, noting that he may be fired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Hrodna judge heard a case against Iryna Panasik, whose son Valancin is serving a six-year prison term on charges widely seen as politically motivated, the Pravo Imeyut<\/em> Telegram channel said. Authorities persecute the woman for receiving groceries via the INeedHelpBy initiative. This is her third trial on these charges. On March 15, she was fined 1,200 rubels (about $370), while the second verdict remains unknown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On March 29, at least three persons from Navahrudak, Hrodna region, were jailed for five days each for sharing opposition content. A judge also ruled to confiscate their smartphones, the same channel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alaksandar Nazara\u016d and Ta\u0107ciana Bie\u0142akapytava were tried in the Hrodna region on similar charges, but authorities did not disclose the verdicts, according to Pravo Imeyut<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Special proceedings<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Investigators opened special proceedings against Ba\u017eena \u017do\u0142ud\u017a, whose late boyfriend Vital \u0160y\u0161o\u016d headed the Belarusian House in Ukraine nonprofit, Specialnoye proizvodstvo. Oficialno<\/em> Telegram channel reported. Authorities accuse her of illegally sharing of personal data, defamation, insulting a judge and public calls to seize the state power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

A judge ruled to suspend the one-year prison sentence given to Kry\u015bcina Dydy\u0161ka-\u010carka\u0161yna from Baranavi\u010dy, Brest region, Na\u0161a Niva<\/em> reported, noting that she may be pregnant or have a baby. The other seven defendants in the protests-related case were given prison terms ranging from one to three years. The woman’s husband, Ivan Dydy\u0161ka, was given two years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Former university lecturer Volha Fi\u0142at\u010dankava left Belarus fearing politically-motivated persecution, Andrej Stry\u017eak of the BySol Foundation said on Facebook. Earlier, Fi\u0142at\u010dankava had served two and a half years in prison for participating in 2020 postelection protests with her students. She was released in November 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alaksandra Kasko, serving a 10-year prison term in a politically-motivated case, was transferred to women’s Penal Colony No 4 in Homiel, Viasna reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Investigators forwarded to prosecutors a case against exiled human rights defender Leanid Sudalenka accused of promoting extremism, he said on Facebook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The administration of Penal Colony No 3 in Viciebsk\u00a0tightened inspections of parcels for inmates, cutting or piercing all food items and confiscating work gloves and\u00a0shoelaces, MAYDAY TEAM reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of April 9, human rights defenders identified at least 1,392 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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