{"id":79784,"date":"2024-04-15T12:24:24","date_gmt":"2024-04-15T09:24:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/79784\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"update-on-trials-politically-motivated-persecution-5","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/79784\/","title":{"rendered":"Update on trials, politically-motivated persecution"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

April 15, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> New instances of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on April 13 and 14 as authorities continued harassing participants of 2020 postelection protests and blacklisting opposition content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

On March 28, a judge in Bras\u0142a\u016d, Viciebsk region, jailed Alaksiej Buzo for 15 days for following opposition content, the Vitebsk, Ya Gulaju! Novosti Vitebska<\/em> Telegram channel reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New criminal charges<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities accused three men from \u017d\u0142obin, Homiel region, of gross violations of public order for participating in 2020 protests, a pro-government source said. One works at the Belarusian Steel Works, another is a driver and the third one is an employee at the A1 telecommunications company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Clothes store owner Artur Roli\u010d will go on trial in Minsk on April 23 on charges of financing terrorism and extremism, Na\u0161a Niva<\/em> reported. Authorities persecute him for donating money to opposition initiatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Extremist” content update<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities branded several opposition social media accounts as extremist content, including Orsha Vostochka<\/em> and Sklad.Dapamoga<\/em> on Telegram; childfreefamilyclub<\/em>, <\/strong>hutka.help<\/em>, belarussportus<\/em>, belphiladelphia<\/em> and bielarus.info<\/em> on Instagram; blogger Alaksandar Ivulin’s YouTube channel ChestnOK-Live<\/em>, Belarus Freedom Forum project’s social media, brestnote.by<\/em> local news website, actionagainstchildabduction.com<\/em> and adt.by<\/em> car portal, the information ministry’s website says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Released<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities released Via\u010das\u0142a\u016d Ka\u015bciu\u010dyk and Dzianis Marusievi\u010d after they had served four years in prison each for participating in 2020 protests in Brest, the Brest branch of the Viasna Human Rights Center said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of April 15, human rights defenders identified at least 1,387 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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