{"id":98693,"date":"2024-08-02T11:53:15","date_gmt":"2024-08-02T08:53:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/98693\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"reprisals-authorities-keep-harassing-journalists","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/98693\/","title":{"rendered":"Reprisals: authorities keep harassing journalists"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

August 2, Pozirk<\/em>. <\/strong>New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on August 1, as the Belarusian Association of Journalists reported at least 21 searches targeting exiled journalists working at independent media outlets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The searches over the past two months may be linked to criminal charges filed against them in Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities also continued persecuting dissenters in Belarus: Minsk railway worker Alaksandar Ryma\u0161e\u016dski is under arrest for participating in three 2020 postelection rallies and sharing information with opposition online projects, Mediazona<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two Brest women were also arrested on protest-related charges, the Viasna Human Rights Center said. One of them is a student at the local university.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Police arrested a woman who administered one of the Minsk local chats on the Telegram messaging app, Viasna reported. Authorities accuse her of instigating protests, organizing local activities and posting negative comments about undercover police agents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Iryna Takar\u010duk, 63, went on trial in Minsk on extremism-related charges, Pozirk <\/em>reported. Her daughter, blogger Volha Takar\u010duk, is a former political prisoner who fled the country fearing further persecution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Special proceedings<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Investigative Committee said it opened a special proceedings case against Pavie\u0142 Kula\u017eanka, a former riot police officer currently fighting Russia in Ukraine. Ex-military officer Vital Paciechin, 62, is another defendant in the case. Both face several criminal charges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Police officers drew up four administrative reports against two Mahilo\u016d women who rode around the city wearing t-shirts that police considered insulting, Viasna said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of August 2, human rights defenders identified at least 1,391 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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