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POZIRK+Reprisals: pressure on jailed dissidents, harassment of exiles continue
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Official warns exiled Belarusians of persecution over Freedom Day rallies abroad
March 23, Pozirk. Participants in the Freedom Day events abroad will be identified and may face trials in absentia and confiscation of their Belarus-based properties, Alaksandar Suchadolski, spokesman for the Belarusian Investigative Committee, has said.
The official claimed that Freedom Day celebrations aim to shape a negative narrative about Belarus and recruit exiled Belarusians into what Minsk perceives as illegal or extremist activities.
Last year, Belarusian investigators also issued similar threats.
Celebrated on March 25, Freedom Day will mark the 108th anniversary of the Belarusian independence proclamation. The current Belarusian government does not recognize Freedom Day as an official holiday. After the 2020 presidential election, any attempts to publicly celebrate anniversaries led to arrests, trials and jail terms.
The state-run propaganda has been vocal in demonizing historical events related to the proclamation of the short-lived independence in 1918, banning all symbols linked to the first Belarusian state.
Belarusian opposition leader Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja announced a Freedom Day rally in Warsaw for March 28.
Christian Democratic politician Sieviaryniec in charge of Dzień Voli celebrations
March 3, Pozirk. Pavieł Sieviaryniec, a prominent Christian Democratic politician released from Belarusian prison in December in a deal between Minsk and Washington, has been elected as head of the organizing committee for celebrations of Dzień Voli (Freedom Day), an …
