{"id":99256,"date":"2024-08-06T13:20:58","date_gmt":"2024-08-06T10:20:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/99256\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"exiled-belarusian-activist-given-seven-years-in-prison-in-belarus","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/99256\/","title":{"rendered":"Exiled Belarusian activist given seven years in prison in Belarus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"block-image block-image-normal\">\n\n  <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1128\" height=\"752\" src=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/kirkevich_fb_1128x752.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/kirkevich_fb_1128x752.jpg 1128w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/kirkevich_fb_1128x752-354x236.jpg 354w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/kirkevich_fb_1128x752-734x490.jpg 734w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/kirkevich_fb_1128x752-178x118.jpg 178w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/kirkevich_fb_1128x752-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1128px) 100vw, 1128px\" \/>\n  <figcaption>\n  \n       <div class=\"block-image__author\">\n                <span>(Kirkievi\u010d&#039;s social media)<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n     <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>August 6, <em>Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> Alaksandar Kirkievi\u010d, a Belarusian freelance journalist, local history enthusiast and former activist of the opposition Malady Front (Youth Front) currently outlawed in Belarus, has been sentenced to seven years in prison in a trial held without him being present, the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A judge in Hrodna found him guilty last week of association with an extremist group, also ruling to fine the man 24,000 rubels (more than $7,760).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kirkievi\u010d is known as a longtime opponent of Alaksandar Luka\u0161enka. In 2011, he was sentenced to four years in prison for participating in a protest rally in Minsk following the rigged 2010 presidential election. Rights groups considered him a political prisoner. He was pardoned later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Minsk enacted amendments in July 2022 that provide for trials in absentia, targeting those living abroad and evading contact with investigators. The amendments list 34 serious crimes such as acts of terrorism, treason, sabotage, mass riots, association with an extremist group and calls for sanctions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More than 100 Belarusians have already been prosecuted under the so-called special proceedings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More criminal cases will be opened this year against exiled opposition activists, Belarus\u2019 chief investigator D\u017amitryj Hora told journalists in June.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"insert-block\">\n\n    <div class=\"insert-block__img\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"354\" height=\"236\" src=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/pochobut_sb_by-354x236.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/pochobut_sb_by-354x236.jpg 354w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/pochobut_sb_by-734x490.jpg 734w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/pochobut_sb_by-178x118.jpg 178w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/pochobut_sb_by-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/pochobut_sb_by.jpg 924w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 354px) 100vw, 354px\" \/>                        <label class=\"insert-block__tag--mobile\"> \u041f\u043e\u043b\u0438\u0442\u0438\u043a\u0430<\/label>\n\n                            <label class=\"insert-block__tag--mobile\"> \u041e\u0431\u0449\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e<\/label>\n\n                <\/div>\n    <div class=\"insert-block__text\">\n                    <label class=\"insert-block__tag\">\u041f\u043e\u043b\u0438\u0442\u0438\u043a\u0430, \u041e\u0431\u0449\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e<\/label>\n                <h3 class=\"insert-block__title\">Warsaw working its way toward release of Poczobut &#8211; interior minister<\/h3>\n        <div class=\"insert-block__descr\">August 6, Pozirk. Poland is looking for &quot;the most favorable way&quot; to secure the release of journalist Andrzej Poczobut (Andrej Pa\u010dobut) held in a Belarusian prison, Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak has told TVN24. The official commented on the recent &#8230;<\/div>\n        <a class=\"insert-block__btn-block\" href=\"\/en\/news\/99255\">\n            <button class=\"btn\">\n                <div class='btn__text'>Read <\/div>\n            <\/button>\n        <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>August 6, Pozirk. Alaksandar Kirkievi\u010d, a Belarusian freelance journalist, local history enthusiast and former activist of the opposition Malady Front (Youth Front) currently outlawed in Belarus, has been sentenced to seven years in prison in a trial held without him being present, the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) reports. A judge in Hrodna found him [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83,"featured_media":99240,"template":"","rubric":[14],"class_list":["post-99256","articles","type-articles","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","rubric-politics"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Exiled Belarusian activist given seven years in prison in Belarus | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"August 6, Pozirk. Alaksandar Kirkievi\u010d, a Belarusian freelance journalist, local history enthusiast and former activist of the opposition Malady Front\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/99256\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Exiled Belarusian activist given seven years in prison in Belarus | Pozirk\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"August 6, Pozirk. 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