{"id":88320,"date":"2024-06-01T12:58:22","date_gmt":"2024-06-01T09:58:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/88320\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"update-on-arrests-trials-politically-motivated-persecution-175","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/88320\/","title":{"rendered":"Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

June 1, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> Belarusian police continued harassing event hosts and entertainers, with two new arrests reported on May 31, of Pavie\u0142 Pa\u0161kievi\u010d in Minsk and Viktar Stelmach in Brest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Police accused Pa\u0161kievi\u010d of participating in 2020 postelection protests, Stelmach, of following opposition content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier this week, pro-government sources reported the arrests of Juryj Kapucki and Rus\u0142an Dani\u0142kovi\u010d, owners of event management businesses, and event host Andrei Pap\u0142a\u016dski, who faced similar charges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Friday, the interior ministry added 19 new names to its list of \u201cpersons involved in extremist activities,\u201d its website said. The additions feature journalist Andrej To\u0142\u010dyn, imprisoned on politically-motivated charges, Ukrainian national Natalya Zakharenko, serving a lengthy prison for alleged espionage and Aksana Krupa, convicted in the same case for allegedly failing to report a crime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities continued harassing dissenters for their online activities, opening criminal proceedings against Pavie\u0142 Bie\u0142aha\u0142o\u016d in Mahilo\u016d for allegedly defaming the head of state in connection with social media posts critical of Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka, MAYDAY.TEAM<\/em> reported. Earlier, the man had served a two-and-a-half-year prison term for online comments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On May 20, a judge in Viciebsk fined vkurier.news<\/em> editor Alaksandar Korny\u0161a\u016d 800 rubels ($250) for sharing opposition content, the Belarusian Association of Journalists said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In late May, authorities released Ja\u016dhien Miarenka after he had served two years in prison for insulting the head of state in connection with critical social media posts, Mediazona<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Mahilo\u016d man was jailed for 15 days for an anti-police tattoo, a pro-government source said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of June 1, 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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