Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution

July 15, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on July 14.

Arrests

Authorities in Minsk arrested a businessman for the Pahonia coat of arms on his license plate, calling it “demonstration of forbidden symbols on a personal car,” according to Viasna.

Law enforcers in Hrodna arrested an employee of a transport company at his workplace. He allegedly wrote 700 comments insulting Alaksandar Łukašenka, regional leaders, and police, according to a pro-government Telegram channel.

Trials

A state prosecutor asked a judge in Hrodna to sentence journalist Pavieł Mažejka and lawyer Julija Jurhilevič to six years in prison each, Belsat TV reported.

Political prisoner Viktar Załatareŭski went on trial in the Homiel Regional Court on extremism charges, Viasna reported.

Polish national Robert Tąpała was sentenced to three years in prison for insulting Alaksandar Łukašenka and state officials, Viasna reported. He has already been transferred to a penal colony in Navapołack, Viciebsk region.

On July 10, a district court in the Homiel region sentenced a Mahiloŭ man, Dźmitryj Papkoŭ, to two years in prison for libeling and insulting Łukašenka, Mayday Team reported.

Extremism list

Authorities blacklisted exiled opposition leader Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja, her ally Pavieł Łatuška and 30 others as extremists. A Minsk court sentenced Cichanoŭskaja to 15 years and Łatuška to 18 years in prison after a trial in absentia in March. The other additions included three members of a coordination council that sought a dialogue with the Łukašenka regime to end the post-election political crisis. Maryja Maroz, Siarhiej Dyleŭski and Volha Kavalkova were tried in absentia and sentenced to 12 years each.

Other incidents

Palina Šarenda-Panasiuk, who is serving a three-year prison sentence, has lost about 18 kilograms of weight over the past two and a half years behind bars, according to her husband Andrej Šarenda. She is 170 cm tall and now weighs 47.5 kg.

As of July 15, human rights defenders identified at least 1,479 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.