{"id":79303,"date":"2024-04-12T11:13:28","date_gmt":"2024-04-12T08:13:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/79303\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"update-on-arrests-trials-politically-motivated-persecution-162","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/79303\/","title":{"rendered":"Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

April 12, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> New instances of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on April 11 as authorities kept punishing participants in 2020 postelection protests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Police arrested Andrej Tarabienka in Babrujsk, Mahilo\u016d region, for allegedly sharing information with the opposition Bobruisk Online<\/em> and Nexta<\/em> Telegram channels, participating in 2020 protests and signing up for the opposition Pieramoha Plan, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hrodna police arrested realtor Raman Smirno\u016d, Mediazona<\/em> reported. In a police video, he admitted to participating in protests, criticizing Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka and officials online and sharing information with the opposition social media projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities released Kry\u015bcina \u010carankova, an activist and businesswoman from Mazyr, Homiel region, who had served two and a half years in prison for allegedly inciting hatred, the Homiel branch of Viasna said. The woman has been on the official extremist register since February 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

On April 8, a Brest judge sentenced Alaksiej Herman to five years in prison, the Supreme Court reported. Herman was tried on five charges that authorities use to persecute political opponents and was also fined 8,000 rubels (about $2,445).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Darja Chmialnickaja will go on trial on April 22 in Minsk on charges of gross violations of public order and participating in an armed conflict abroad, Na\u0161a Niva<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Police officers in H\u0142ybokaje, Viciebsk region, placed pictures and personal data of journalist D\u017amitryj \u0141upa\u010d and his children on a wanted poster near the police department, the Belarusian Association of Journalists said. Police branded the exiled family as criminals although no trials have been held to prove their charges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Prosecutor General’s Office forwarded to court a criminal case against Franak Via\u010dorka, an aide to Belarusian opposition leader \u015aviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja, Viasna reported. Investigators filed nine criminal charges against Via\u010dorka, including conspiracy to overthrow the government and high treason, and plan to seek 30.9 million rubels ($9.4 million) from him in damages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Extremist” list update<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The interior ministry branded the anti-disinformation project \u010caho Bre\u0161a\u0161?<\/em> (Why Are You Lying?) an extremist group on April 10, its website said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of April 12, human rights defenders identified at least 1,376 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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