{"id":7910,"date":"2023-09-16T18:41:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-16T15:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/api.pozirk.online\/?post_type=articles&p=7910"},"modified":"2026-02-24T20:40:57","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T20:40:57","slug":"update-on-arrests-trials-politically-motivated-persecution-59","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/7910\/","title":{"rendered":"Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

September 16,\u00a0Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on September 15.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

On September 12, a Baranavi\u010dy district resident was arrested for tearing down a flag from a building, the Investigative Committee reported. Authorities charged him with desecrating state symbols.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A member of the organizing committee of jailed opposition leader Viktar Babaryka’s party Razam was detained in Hrodna, according to pro-government channels. Law enforcers said that he signed up for the opposition’s Pieramoha plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Police officers arrested an 18-year-old man who allegedly sought to join the Kastu\u015b Kalino\u016dski Regiment and signed up for the Pieramoha plan, Viasna reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

The court of the Viciebsk region’s Ta\u0142a\u010dyn district fined Ta\u0107ciana Pabiar\u017eyna, a department head at a local library, 1,110 rubels ($440) for disseminating “extremist” content. She was subscribed to banned pages on the Odnoklassniki social network. The woman’s mobile phone was confiscated, Viasna Viciebsk reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A court in Minsk on June 21 sentenced political prisoner Alaksandar Jakimovi\u010d to a year and a half for his alleged participation in protests, Viasna reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Brest Regional Court sentenced former police officer Kiry\u0142 Hnia\u017adzi\u0142a\u016d to eight years in a medium-security penal colony for his alleged association with the project called Chernaya Kniga Belarusi (Eng.: Black Book of Belarus). Hnia\u017adzi\u0142a\u016d was charged with incitement to hatred and illegal handling of personal data. In February 2023, Hnia\u017adzi\u0142a\u016d was detained at the border as he traveled from Poland to visit his family in Belarus. Chernaya Kniga Belarusi was launched in 2020 as an online project to expose security officers who mistreated and brutalized peaceful protesters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Extremism lists<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On September 15, the interior ministry added 22 names to the list of people it says are involved in extremism, bringing the total to 3,290.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Supreme Court declared the Czech-based Belarusian Investigative Center (BIC) an extremist group, a senior prosecutor said. The center incited hatred and spread lies about Belarusian politics, society and military, Alaksandar Karpovi\u010d charged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Political prisoners released<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alaksandar H\u0142adkich was released after serving his restricted freedom sentence in full, Viasna reported. A court had convicted him of insulting an official and sentenced him him to two years in an open-type corrective institution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kaciaryna Batura was also released after serving her restricted freedom sentence. A judge had sentenced her to a year and a half for “insulting” Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka, according to Viasna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities transferred the editor in chief of the dismantled Tut.by<\/em> portal, Maryna Zo\u0142atava, sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment, to Homiel’s Penal Colony No 4 to serve her sentence, according to Viasna Homiel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities placed U\u0142adzimir Hundar, currently serving a 20-year term in a penal colony for his role in an alleged plot to overthrow the government, in a punitive cell, Viasna reported. Hundar’s relatives assume that he has been there since August 3, when all communication with him was lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Homiel Regional Court dissolved the public association Pamia\u0107 Aj\u010dyny (Memory of Fatherland), which searched for the remains of civilians who were shot and buried during World War II. Prosecutors initiated a probe after the arrest of the association’s chairman. In March, Ihar \u015avirydzienka was sentenced to 10 days in jail for disseminating banned content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of September 16, human rights defenders identified at least 1,509 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":"

September 16,\u00a0Pozirk.\u00a0New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on September 15. Arrests On September 12, a Baranavi\u010dy district resident was arrested for tearing down a flag from a building, the Investigative Committee reported. Authorities charged him with desecrating state symbols. A member of the organizing committee of jailed opposition leader Viktar Babaryka’s party […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":0,"template":"","rubric":[14],"class_list":["post-7910","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=\"September 16,\u00a0Pozirk.\u00a0New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on September 15. 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