{"id":81751,"date":"2024-04-24T12:16:13","date_gmt":"2024-04-24T09:16:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/81751\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"update-on-arrests-trials-politically-motivated-persecution-170","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/81751\/","title":{"rendered":"Reprisals: heavy sentences for ex-customs officers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

April 24, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> The Viasna Human Rights Center has reported new details of a case against customs officers Ja\u016dhien Hurynovi\u010d, Viktar Novik and U\u0142adzimir \u017duromski facing eight criminal charges, including high treason and involvement in extremist activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All three went on trial behind closed doors in October 2023. Novik and \u017duromski, whom human rights groups declared political prisoners a week ago, were given 13 and 12 years in prison, while Hurynovi\u010d, who is suffering from intervertebral hernia, is prosecuted in a separate case with hearings held at Detention Center No 1 in Minsk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other cases of politically-motivated persecution documented in Belarus on April 23 include several trials for sharing opposition content in the Hrodna region. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opposition Telegram channels reported the persecution of Juryj Jadko\u016dski, Natalla Barkova, Volha Pikta, \u015aviat\u0142ana Lavickaja, Natalla Viekviert and Ramuald U\u0142an, ex-publisher of the independent Novaya Gazeta Smorgoni<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The verdicts are unknown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On April 8, a judge in Hrodna also fined Alaksandar Chlabi\u010d 600 rubels ($184) for tearing up three ballots issued to him at a polling station during the parliamentary and local elections in late February, the Pravo Imeyut<\/em> Telegram channel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Wedding photographer Alaksandra Mielni\u010dak went on trial in Homiel for allegedly participating in protests and inciting hatred in connection with politically-sensitive social media posts, Flagshtok<\/em> said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Pro-government sources reported arrests of a Minsk man who was wounded during 2020 postelection protests and a man from Homiel for comments about D\u017amitryj Karaviako\u016dski, a deceased top police official who was in charge of a crackdown on protesters in Brest in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Extremist” list update<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities branded AVTORYNOK BELARUS<\/em> on VKonakte, belarusdaily_org<\/em> and international_male_choir_unia<\/em> on Instagram; PRESSA<\/em>, SovsemBespalevaTV<\/em>, Paniavierka<\/em>, Na\u0161y Naviny<\/em>, Pra Viciebsk\\Viasna<\/em> on TikTok and several Telegram channels as extremist content, the information ministry’s website said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

The prison administration banned journalist Dzianis Iva\u0161yn, serving a lengthy prison term in a politically-motivated case, from receiving groceries and vitamin parcels from his family, a Telegram channel covering his persecution said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities sold at auction the Minsk apartment of jailed human rights defender U\u0142adzimir \u0141abkovi\u010d, e-auction.by<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of April 24, human rights defenders identified at least 1,404 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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