{"id":87513,"date":"2024-05-28T11:43:16","date_gmt":"2024-05-28T08:43:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/87513\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"update-on-arrests-trials-politically-motivated-persecution-173","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/87513\/","title":{"rendered":"Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

May 28, Pozirk<\/em>. <\/strong>New instances of politically-motivated persecution <\/a>were documented in Belarus from May 25 to 27 as authorities continued harassing opponents and dissenters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jailed opposition activist \u0179micier Da\u0161kievi\u010d faces a new charge of disobeying prison authorities, his wife Nasta Da\u0161kievi\u010d said on Facebook. Earlier this month, a few weeks before his expected release, he was accused of violent disorder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Committee for State Security (KGB) agents arrested at least six railway workers for sharing pictures of a derailed locomotive at a Minsk station in work chats, the community of Belarusian railway workers reported. They may face extremism-related charges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opposition content<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minsk police arrested a woman who administered Turkey’s Belarusian diaspora chat with about 700 followers, a pro-government Telegram channel said. The chat was registered on dze.chat<\/em>, an open opposition chat platform. The woman admitted under duress to communicating with opposition initiatives in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pro-government sources also reported several criminal charges against a man arrested for allegedly following opposition content, posting critical comments and sharing personal data of officials and law enforcers with opposition initiatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Siarhiej Budzi\u0142ovi\u010d, Viktar Finievi\u010d, Andrej Varanco\u016d, Ta\u0107ciana Kraso\u016dskaja, Halina \u010carny\u0161ova, Dzianis Mik\u0161a, S\u0107iapan Turluk, Nina Koze\u0142, Andrej Darafieje\u016d, Arciom Sviryd and Arciom Mackie\u0142a were tried in the Hrodna region last week for sharing opposition content, the Sudy, Zaderzhaniya. Grodno i Oblast <\/em>Telegram channel reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Authorities accused exiled journalist D\u017amitryj \u0141upa\u010d of association with an extremist group for collaboration with the Warsaw-based Belsat<\/em> TV channel deemed extremist in Belarus, the Viciebsk branch of the Viasna Human Rights Center said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier, \u0141upa\u010d was accused under the same criminal article for running in the Coordination Council election. Authorities also claimed he was involved in a conspiracy to seize state power and calling for sanctions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

D\u017amitryj Cikuno\u016d went on trial in Minsk on Monday on charges of inciting hatred and calling for sanctions, Viasna reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andrej Burdzienia\u2019s trial opened in Hrodna on the same day, the Sudy, Zaderzhaniya. Grodno i Oblast <\/em>Telegram channel reported. Investigators accused him of inciting hatred, insulting officials, defaming and insulting the head of state in connection with social media posts critical of Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka. He has been in custody since last September.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Alaksandra Semianiuk left Belarus with her three children fleeing politically-motivated persecution, BySol reported. She was arrested in January in a raid targeting political prisoners’ family members who received groceries from the INeedHelpBY initiative and later accused of calling for sanctions. Semianiuk\u2019s mother, Alena Hna\u016dk, is serving a prison term in a politically-motivated case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Monday, the Belarusian human rights community labeled six more people as political prisoners, Viasna reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of May 28, <\/a>human rights defenders identified at least 1,402 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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Rights groups label six as political prisoners<\/h3>\n
May 27, Pozirk. The Belarusian human rights community has labeled six more people as political prisoners, the Viasna Human Rights Center reports. Additions include Anastasija Macia\u0161, Siarhiej Vysocki and Maksim Chva\u0161\u010dynski sentenced to prison terms for alleged association with opposition …<\/div>\n \n