{"id":85121,"date":"2024-05-15T11:25:08","date_gmt":"2024-05-15T08:25:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/85121\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"update-on-arrests-trials-politically-motivated-persecution-172","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/85121\/","title":{"rendered":"Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

May 15, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> Reprisals in Belarus continue unabated, as the Viasna Human Rights Center documented at least 161 criminal convictions in politically-motivated cases last month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between May 11 and 14, authorities kept harassing Belarusians in connection with critical social media posts. Ra\u016d\u0161anbiek Ku\u0142da\u0161o\u016d, Kazimir Ma\u0142y\u0161ka, Viktar Naj\u0142ovi\u010d, Kaciaryna Alaksiej\u010dyk, Regina Chacuh, Ihar \u0160achno, Juryj Miale\u0161ka, Barys Kruto\u016d, Alena Ka\u015bjanovi\u010d, Juryj Nikan and U\u0142adzimir A\u016ddzijevi\u010d were tried in the Hrodna region in early May for sharing opposition content. Human rights defenders did not attend the trials and do not know the verdicts, the Sudy, Zaderzhaniya. Grodno i Oblast<\/em> Telegram channel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In late April, a judge in Hrodna fined three people 1,200 rubels ($370) each for following opposition content on social media, the Pravo Imeyut<\/em> Telegram channel reported. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Protest-related cases<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People critical of the government remain at risk of being arrested as it happened in cases of furniture factory manager Pavie\u0142 Kapucki and software engineer Alaksiej Va\u016dnionak, accused of participating in 2020 postelection protests, Mediazona<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

E\u016draopt retail chain employee Maksim Pano\u016d and IT specialist Lizavieta \u0160ulskaja were arrested on similar charges after police reportedly identified them on a picture from protests, Viasna said. \u0160ulskaja has recently returned to Belarus from Poland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Police also arrested several people during the fifth raid since August 2023 at the Nioman glassworks in Biaroza\u016dka, Hrodna region, the Sudy, Zaderzhaniya. Grodno i Oblast<\/em> Telegram channel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Catholic priests Andrej Juchnievi\u010d and Pavie\u0142 Lemiech were jailed for an alleged minor offense after their arrest on May 9, katolik.life<\/em> reported. Police suspect them of subversive activity against the Belarusian state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Translator Volha Ka\u0142ackaja is free after her May 10 arrest and search of her home, Na\u0161a Niva<\/em> reported. Earlier, the woman had served two years of restricted freedom in home confinement in a politically-motivated case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities also released Vasil Varfa\u0142amije\u016d, a co-owner of the Hippo retail chain, after he had spent three months in a detention center, Na\u0161a Niva<\/em> said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opposition activist Alena Hna\u016dk, 67, may be held incommunicado in prison since January, BG.media <\/em>reported. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The woman has served about half of her prison term given for allegedly discrediting the state, defaming Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka and disobeying prison authorities. It remains unknown whether she underwent a scheduled surgery.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of May 15, human rights defenders identified at least 1,374 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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