{"id":92516,"date":"2024-06-25T13:51:49","date_gmt":"2024-06-25T10:51:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/92516\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"reprisals-prominent-exiled-activists-face-trials-in-absentia","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/92516\/","title":{"rendered":"Reprisals: prominent exiled activists face trials in absentia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

June 25, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> New instances of politically-motivated persecution documented from June 22 to 24 targeted exiled Belarusians, as authorities kept trying to silence critical voices.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A judge in Brest sentenced exiled blogger Andrej Pavuk to 12 years in prison and his ex-wife Volha Pavuk to eight years on extremist-related charges at a trial in absentia, the Office of the Brest Regional Prosecutor reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opera singer and activist Marharyta La\u016d\u010duk, blogger Illa Salanko\u016d and rock musician U\u0142adzis\u0142a\u016d Nava\u017ey\u0142a\u016d, aka Lesley Knife, were also tried in absentia and given six to eight years in prison. La\u016d\u010duk\u2019s ex-husband Alaksandar \u010cacho\u016dski, an activist and culture manager, was sentenced to three months in jail without being present at the trial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

U\u0142adzimir Ramanienka faces criminal charges of inciting hatred and insulting officials and Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka under special proceedings, the Investigative Committee said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Minsk Regional Court held the first hearing in a case against exiled opposition activist Juryj Ka\u010dura, who is persecuted under special proceedings, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported. Authorities accuse him of inciting hatred and insulting an official in connection with critical social media posts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arrests and trials<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pro-government sources reported the arrests of two brothers for participating in 2020 postelection protest rallies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andrej Juchnievi\u010d, rector of the church of Our Lady of F\u00e1tima in \u0160umilina, Viciebsk region, was given another jail term for an alleged minor offence for the fourth time in a row two days ago, katolik.life reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u017dana Savienia and Ja\u016dhien Sadocha were tried in Hrodna on charges of sharing opposition content, the Pravo Imeyut <\/em>Telegram channel said. Sadocha is presumably deputy head of city\u2019s architecture and urban planning department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Alaksandar Barodzi\u010d went on trial in Hrodna on charges of abusing state symbols, insulting and slandering Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka in connection with critical social media posts, Pravo Imeyut<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jailed anarchist activist Alaksandar Francikevi\u010d, serving a lengthy prison term on charges widely seen as politically motivated, is on trial for defying prions administration’s orders, the same channel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Extremist” list update<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities branded three books by jailed opposition politician Pavie\u0142 Seviaryniec extremist content, the information ministry said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other blacklisted content includes Or\u0161a.eu<\/em> regional news project’s social media, moladz.help<\/em> and its social media accounts as well as several opposition Telegram channels, including Skrinka Pandori<\/em>, Advokaty Prav Cheloveka<\/em>, Pravo na Zashchitu<\/em>; a Facebook page of Belarusians in Poland’s Bia\u0142ystok; prostymislovami, agulina192<\/em> and novy chas<\/em> on TikTok.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Jailed opposition activist Palina \u0160arenda-Panasiuk has spent at least 70 days in a punishment cell since the start of 2024, her exiled husband Andrej \u0160arenda said on Facebook. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She is held at the Homel pre-trial detention center pending her fourth criminal trial for allegedly disobeying the prison administration, the charge routinely used by authorities to keep opponents in prisons longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cycling activist \u015aviat\u0142ana Karol will serve an 18-month prison term given on charges of slandering \u0141uka\u0161enka and inciting hatred at Homiel’s Penal Colony No 4, Viasna said. Rights groups consider her case to be politically motivated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The family of jailed politician Mika\u0142aj Statkievi\u010d has not heard from him for more than 500 days, his wife Maryna Adamovi\u010d said on Facebook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oncologists Siarhiej Ivano\u016d and his wife Volha were fired from Homiel’s state-run hospitals after serving jail terms for sharing opposition content, Flagshtok <\/em>reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Russia extradited Belarusian dissident doctor U\u0142adzimir Marta\u016d to Belarus, Viasna\u2019s Viciebsk branch said. Belarusian authorities reportedly ordered the arrest as a preventive measure, but the reasons are unknown. He is held at a detention center in Viciebsk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rights groups declared 22 more people as former political prisoners, noting that their persecution was linked to their exercise of freedom of assembly and freedom of expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of June 25, human rights defenders identified at least 1,425 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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