Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution

April 14, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on April 13.

Arrests

Police arrested Siarhiej Ivancoŭ, head of the De Vizu marketing company and a former university lecturer, for writing to an opposition chatbot, Naša Niva reported. He faces criminal charges.

Minsk police arrested Andrej Varonin, 40, after he allegedly responded to a fake Telegram chatbot set up by police officers in a deceptive operation to catch opposition supporters. It remains unclear whether he has been charged.

Brest police arrested three local residents (no names disclosed) for intentions to organize street races involving cars and motorcycles, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported. They are accused of violating regulations governing mass gatherings. Police also charged 11 potential race participants with violating traffic rules.

Trials

A judge fined Iryna Zimnieva 740 rubels (over $250) for allegedly swearing at police officers, Viasna reported. She remains in custody after the trial. Her husband, Alaksiej Zimnieŭ, is also under arrest. The couple runs SlavCentr, a center for Slavic languages and cultures known for offering Polish language courses and consultation on admission to Polish universities.

Criminal proceedings

A court in the Brest region sentenced Dźmitryj Žydko to two years in prison on charges of hooliganism for allegedly making obscene notes about Alaksandr Łukašenka and Vladimir Putin on his referendum ballot in February 2022, Viasna said. His sentence was reduced by one year under an amnesty program. Žydko spent 15 days in jail in March 2022 on the same charge.

Minsk courts sentenced Anton Ručan, Raman Saroka, and architect Valeryja Sokał to two and a half years of restricted freedom in home confinement each for participating in protest rallies in 2020.

A judge in Baranavičy, Brest region, sent Anton Kavaloŭ, a father of three, to a penal colony, replacing eight remaining months of his two-year restricted freedom term with four months in prison. Authorities say he violated the terms of home confinement given in 2021 for online comments about public officials. 

Bloggers Raman Pratasievič and Jan Rudzik, defendants in the NEXTA case, face a heavier charge – two counts of leading extremist groups – along with 11 other criminal offenses, RIA Novosti reported.

The Minsk City Court will consider a case involving convicted journalist Ksienija Łuckina, the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) said. Officials have not disclosed whether she faces any new charges. In September 2022, Łuckina was given eight years in prison on charges of conspiracy to seize state power.

Andrej Mamojka, a New Life Church community leader, and his wife Viera will go on trial in Minsk on April 20. Police arrested the couple in early February in connection with 2020 protests.

Terrorist list update

The Committee for State Security (KGB) added Aleh Zubovič, 27, to its list of individuals involved in terrorist activities. A total of 1,046 people are on the terrorist list with 291 Belarusian nationals among them.

As of April 14, human rights defenders identified at least 1,483 political prisoners.