Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution

May 13, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on May 12 as authorities seek to punish Belarusians for supporting the opposition and sharing content online.

Arrests

Police arrested six people in Hrodna, including Andrej Taŭrel, Valeryj Parulis and a former puppet theater actor Alaksandr Jendžejŭski, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported. Social media channels linked to police say the arrested shared opposition content and posted pictures from protests.

On April 12, police arrested Uładzimir Ryzhunski, the head of the Minsk Regional Center of Hygiene and Epidemiology, and searched his office, the Belye Chalaty (White Coats) initiative reported.

On May 11, a truck driver tried to attack a group of servicemen “using an explosive device made of pyrotechnic material,” the defense ministry reported. The incident reportedly took place at a section of the M-5 highway linking Minsk and Homiel. The driver was arrested and faces criminal charges of malicious hooliganism. Authorities described him as an opposition supporter.

Criminal proceedings

The Supreme Court upheld lengthy prison sentences passed in absentia to five alleged administrators of the Black Book of Belarus, the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) reported. Authorities accused Janina Sazanovič, Daniił Bahdanovič, Dźmitryj Navoša, Volha Vysockaja and Valeryja Zaniamonskaja, all currently based abroad, of running the online project exposing the identities of security officers who mistreated and brutalized peaceful protesters in 2020.

The Hrodna Regional Court reduced the prison sentence of Dźmitryj Miadźviedzki, convicted on politically-motivated charges, from three to two and a half years, Viasna said.

The prosecutor requested a four-year prison sentence for Jan Papkovič, currently on trial at the Minsk City Court, Mediazona reported. Authorities accuse him of participating in protests and participation in armed conflict in a foreign country.

Trials

In Homiel, authorities jailed activist Illa Mironaŭ for 10 days but have not disclosed the charges against him, his mother Valancina Mironava wrote on Facebook.

In Viciebsk, Professor Taćciana Maklacova  was fined 2,220 rubels (over $780) for allegedly sharing opposition content and violating the order of holding mass events, Viasna said.

A district court in Vierchniadźvinsk, Viciebsk region, jailed local activist Valancina Bołbat, 69, for 30 days, presumably on similar charges. She was briefly hospitalized after her arrest on April 30.

Extremist list updates

Authorities added 30 names to the list of “persons involved in extremist activities,” taking their total to 2,800, the interior ministry said. Additions include 12 defendants in the high-profile “Aŭtuchovič case.”

Extremist content updates

A district court in Minsk blacklisted a number of opposition Telegram channels and social media accounts as extremist content, among them pages liked to Belarusians in Poland, a childfree community and the Tutejšy šlachcič Telegram channel promoting Belarusian history and culture.

Other instances of persecution

The Committee for State Security (KGB) added nine more people to its terrorist register, blacklisting a former presidential hopeful Valeryj Capkała, political activists and so-called rail partisans, BPN reported.

The whereabouts of another former presidential hopeful Viktar Babaryka remain unclear, MAYDAY.TEAM said. He may be held at a prison hospital in Minsk.

Belarusian opposition leader Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja said she has not received any news from her husband, jailed blogger Siarhiej Cichanoŭski, since March 10, BPN reported.

Jailed Alaksiej Hałoŭkin may face new criminal charges, MAYDAY.TEAM said. He has a disability and is currently serving a prison term on charges widely seen as politically motivated.

Investigators completed has sent the case file against journalist Pavieł Padabied to prosecutors for forwarding it to court, the BAJ said. Authorities accuse him of participating in an extremist group.

As of May 13, human rights defenders identified at least 1,483 political prisoners.