{"id":78708,"date":"2024-04-10T11:13:50","date_gmt":"2024-04-10T08:13:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/78708\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"update-on-arrests-trials-politically-motivated-persecution-160","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/78708\/","title":{"rendered":"Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

April 10, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> New instances of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on April 9 with at least six people convicted in Brest in connection with the 2020 postelection protests and new trials reported for sharing opposition content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On April 5, a Brest judge sentenced Vital \u010carkasa\u016d and Alaksandar \u017duk to two and a half years in prison; Arciom Zavada and U\u0142adzis\u0142a\u016d Barysa\u016d, to two years; Arciom Kadyra\u016d to one year, Viasna reported. Maryja Losik was given two and a half years of restricted freedom in home confinement. All six were persecuted for participating in 2020 protests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Brest police arrested barista Mikita Jachimovi\u010d for allegedly decorating mugs with opposition stickers, Mediazona. Belarus<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two Brest men were arrested for tearing down a state flag from the kindergarten building and charged with abusing state symbols, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sales manager Darja Davydzienka, her husband and a friend are under arrest for participating in 2020 protests in Minsk, a pro-government source said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities released Vadzim Hurman and Juryj \u010cubana\u016d after both had served three and a half and two years in prison, respectively, Viasna reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Catholic priest Pavie\u0142 Hiedroj\u0107 was tried in the Hrodna district for sharing opposition content, a pro-government source said. Authorities also confiscated his smartphone. The sentence is unknown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alena Liso\u016dskaja, Natalla Kozie\u0142 and Vadzim Da\u0144ko went on trial in Hrodna on similar charges, the Pravo Imeyut<\/em> Telegram channel said. Authorities did not disclose the verdicts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On March 26, a judge in Pastavy, Viciebsk region, jailed Soviet-Afghanistan war veteran Juryj Karavacki for five days for reposting opposition content that authorities deem extremist, the Vitebsk, Ya Gulayu. Novosti Vitebska<\/em> Telegram channel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Businessman Navum Kac was tried in Homiel on April 8 for sharing opposition content, the Homiel branch of Viasna reported. In 2020, Kac featured in a propaganda video on TV that discredited former presidential hopeful Viktar Babaryka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

On January 22, a judge in Va\u016dkavysk, Hrodna region, sentenced Vadzim Husie\u016d to another year in prison for allegedly disobeying prison authorities, the Pravo Imeyut <\/em>Telegram channel said. In July 2020, Husie\u016d was given 15 months in prison for allegedly insulting officials online. Rights groups consider him a political prisoner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

On April 15, a court in Minsk will open hearings in a special proceedings case targeting those living abroad and evading contact with investigators. Viktar Puzan, Hienad\u017a Hutar, Iryna Sta\u0142oka, Alaksandar Ciarluk, Anatol Astro\u016dski and Vital Pachom\u010dyk will be tried in absentia on protest-related charges. Pachom\u010dyk is also accused of insulting officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Extremist” list update<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities branded several opposition social media accounts extremist content, including the Instagram account of blogger Mikita Mie\u0142kaziora\u016d and his Zahlanie Sonca<\/em> YouTube channel; the website and social media of Hrodna.life<\/em> media outlet, Belarusian opposition leader \u015aviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja’s X account and history book by Alaksandar Tataranka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of April 10, human rights defenders identified at least 1,385 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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