Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution

June 21, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on June 20, including a lengthy prison sentence imposed on a prominent human rights defender.

Arrests

Police in Mahiloŭ arrested businessman Uładzimir Tyčynski for allegedly filming movements of Russian military equipment in April 2022 and sharing the video with an opposition initiative, MAYDAY.TEAM reported.

Criminal proceedings

The Minsk City Court sentenced human rights defender Anastasija Łojka to seven years in prison on charges of inciting hatred, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported.

The Supreme Court upheld the 15-year prison sentence passed in absentia against Belarusian opposition leader Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja, BPN reported.

Former policeman Juryj Carevič was given three years of restricted freedom in an open-type correctional facility on charges of slandering Alaksandr Łukašenka online; businessman Jahor Daševič, two years for allegedly insulting Łukašenka, Viasna said.

In Biaroza, Brest region, a court sentenced Vadzim Hovin to 18 months in prison for an online comment accusing Łukašenka of crimes against humanity and terrorism.

Andrej Caluk is on trial in Minsk on a total of eight criminal charges for allegedly writing over 2,000 critical comments.

The Minsk City Court will announce its verdict in a high-profile terrorism case on June 21, BPN reported. Eighteen defendants are accused of an alleged arson attack on MP Aleh Hajdukievič’s home. Prosecutor requested prison terms of up to 25 years.

The Škłoŭ District Court in the Mahiloŭ region will review detention conditions for seven political prisoners, among them prominent opposition politician Pavieł Seviaryniec, activists Jaŭhien Afnahiel, Pavieł Juchnievič and Maksim Viniarski, BPN reported.

Trials

Valancina Bołbat, 69, was jailed for 30 days in Połack, Viciebsk region, on charges of sharing opposition content and violating the order of holding mass events, the Viciebsk branch of Viasna said. She is still free and intends to appeal the ruling. Earlier, she served several jail terms on similar charges and was briefly hospitalized after an arrest in May.

Alaksandr Sivašenka, a former district government official, will go on trial in Čašniki, Viciebsk region, on June 21 for giving a like to a social media post in 2013, years before the page was labeled extremist in Belarus, Mediazona reported.

Extremist content update

A court in Minsk blacklisted an article about sacked state television journalists on the website of the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) as extremist content, the information ministry’s website says.

Other instances of persecution

The information ministry blocked access to the website of Ranak TV, a TV station based in the Homiel region, Flagshtok reported. Its eight employees were arrested on June 12 and charged with sharing opposition content.

Minsk authorities are demolishing the building of the New Life Protestant Church, BPN reported. Its pastor Viačasłaŭ Hančarenka was persecuted for condemning the post-election police violence in 2020. In February 2021, authorities evicted believers from the building.

Russian authorities blocked access to the BAJ website for Russian users, citing military censorship rules, BAJ said.

Belarusian security officers conduct random checks of smartphones of commuter train passengers, Novy Čas reported. Some may have been arrested.

As of June 21, human rights defenders identified at least 1,492 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.