May 21, Pozirk. Palina Šarenda-Panasiuk, an outspoken critic of Belarus’ authoritarian government, may be given another year in prison in addition to two extra-years she has served already and two years of her original sentence given in connection with her political activity.
A new criminal case has been opened, her husband Andrej Šarenda said on Facebook.
“Palina is at Homiel’s Pre-Trial Detention Center No .3. . . . What is happening to Palina is humiliation, torture and gradual killing,” he said.
Mediazona reported that she has been accused of defying prison administration orders, the charge routinely used by authorities to keep opponents in prisons longer.
The news came as a major setback for her family who were expecting her to be released on May 21.
The human rights group Dissidentby reported on May 2 that the Rečyca District Court in the Homiel region placed her under preventive supervision, a measure usually applied to people released from prison.
In late March, a state-run TV channel reported that Šarenda-Panasiuk appealed to Alaksandar Łukašenka for pardon.
Her husband made it clear that the move was prompted by ill-treatment: the activist spent a long time in punishment cells and was deprived of food and medicine parcels.
In June 2021, the woman was given two years in prison after the judge found her guilty ofviolence against a police officer and insulting officials. She subsequently received two additional one-year sentences for allegedly disobeying the prison administration.
Human rights organizations consider Šarenda-Panasiuk a political prisoner.
