Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution

July 18, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on July 17.

Arrests

Law enforcers in Minsk arrested journalist Ihar Karniej, his daughter said on Facebook. He is serving a 10-day sentence at the detention center on Akreścina Street, she said, adding that his home was searched. Karniej had cooperated with independent media.

An undergraduate student of law was detained and expelled from a university for allegedly buying a thesis paper with references to “extremist” articles. The real author of the thesis was later detained as well, according to pro-government media.

Law enforcers arrested a resident of Babrujsk, Mahiloŭ region, who allegedly wanted to join the Ukrainian Armed Forces, pro-government media said.

Two Minskers were arrested for protesting, pro-government media reported. During the arrest, one of them was stripped down to his underwear, put on his knees, handcuffed, wrapped in a white-red-white flag and subjected to other humiliating treatment.

Trials

On June 27, Ivar Łanhie was convicted of insulting a state official. A court sentenced him to three months in jail for a comment on the social network Odnoklassniki, according to Viasna.

On June 8, a sentence was handed to Alaksiej Skirda, accused of participating in Minsk protests in 2020, Viasna reported. A court sentenced him to two and a half years of restricted freedom, a type of home confinement.

On May 15, a district court in Hrodna convicted Alaksandar Baravik of insulting state officials, Viasna said. He was sentenced to one year in prison over remarks about Interior Minister Ivan Kubrakoŭ and Minsk’s police official Uładzimir Kubrakoŭ, his son.

On July 11, a court found Hanna Kandracienka guilty of insulting a state official, Mayday.Team reported. That was her second conviction. On July 12, 2022 she was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for similar “crimes.”

Łarysa Ščyrakova, a former journalist from Homiel, will go on trial at a regional court on July 27. She is charged with two counts of extremism and with “discrediting the Republic of Belarus,” according to Viasna Homiel. Ščyrakova was arrested in December 2022. She will be tried behind closed doors.

The trial of photographer and journalist Dźmitryj Bajarovič and his wife Valeryja will begin on July 19. They were arrested in mid-March in Baraŭlany, Minsk region, and charged with public order offenses, Viasna reported.

On May 17, Uładzimir Hrakovič from Miory, Viciebsk region, was given six days in jail for violating a picketing procedure and distributing “extremist content,” Viasna reported.

Extremism lists

The authorities have labeled the Telegram channel Pravovaya Initsiativa, the TikTok account Salidarnaść, the VKontakte group Belorusskiy Partizan and over a dozen other social media accounts as “extremist content,” according to the Ministry of Information.

Political prisoners

Belarusian human rights groups declared eight more people political prisoners. They are: Siarhiej Kiemiež, Kaciaryna Leŭ, Dzianis Sałahub, Aleh Kardaš, Dźmitryj Utoŭka, Śviatłana Bakanava, Vadzim Kaŭšoŭ and Natalla Čavusava.

Other

On July 27, the Supreme Court will consider the justice ministry’s request to shut down the Green Party, according to a schedule of trials.

As of July 19, human rights defenders identified at least 1,486 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.