{"id":118064,"date":"2024-12-13T11:23:58","date_gmt":"2024-12-13T08:23:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/118064\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"reprisals-seven-journalists-accused-of-extremism","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/118064\/","title":{"rendered":"Reprisals: seven journalists accused of extremism"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Briefly:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Intex-Press journalists arrested in Baranavi\u010dy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Viasna: 6,270 convicted on protest-related charges since 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

More Belarusians on trial over online content and 2020 protests<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

December 13, Pozirk.<\/strong> Police arrested at least seven former employees of the outlawed Intex-Press<\/em> local news outlet in Baranavi\u010dy, Brest region, the Viasna Human Rights Center said. One of them may be journalist Rus\u0142an Raviaka. Authorities accuse them all of facilitating extremism for alleged association with independent media outlets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The news coincided with the publication of a new round-up by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), ranking Belarus fourth in the top 10 countries by the number of imprisoned journalists this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other instances of politically-motivated persecution documented in Belarus on December 12 included the arrest of holiday farmhouse owner Tamara Patockaja in Baranavi\u010dy, Viasna\u2019s Brest branch reported. Four years ago, the woman volunteered for \u015aviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja’s presidential campaign and served 15 days in jail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trials took place in Minsk as well as Viciebsk and Homiel regions of people accused of sharing opposition content. The defendants were Andrej Kavalo\u016d, Aleh Valad\u017ako, Siarhiej Kibisa\u016d, Anastasija \u010cabatarova, Siarhiej Tarasa\u016d and dentist Zoja Kotava-Ankory\u0144\u0161, according to the electronic court schedule and the Vitebsk, Ya Gulayu <\/em>Telegram channel. The sentences are unknown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The information ministry announced new extremist content designations covering the Lukasholki <\/em>satirical YouTube channel, Raport Bialorus<\/em> on Facebook, volia miasa Mumi-Trola<\/em> and Jessie Pinkman<\/em> on X and filmistr <\/em>on Instagram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Criminal proceedings<\/p>\n\n\n\n

D\u017amitryj Taratynka is on trial in Minsk for allegedly threatening an official with violence, while D\u017amitryj Hacko faces protest-related charges, the electronic court schedule said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other criminal proceedings listed online include the trial of businessman Mika\u0142aj Ju\u0161\u010danka in Homiel on charges of high treason and insulting Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka; Vitold \u0160alkievi\u010d’s trial in Hrodna on six criminal charges linked to political activities and Anton Iljin’s trial in Mahilo\u016d for allegedly inciting hatred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

D\u017amitryj U\u0142asienka went on trial in Homiel on violent disorder charges that authorities usually use to persecute participants in 2020 postelection protests, the Homiel branch of Viasna said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarusian authorities have convicted about 6,270 people on protest-related charges in the four years since the contested 2020 presidential election, Viasna said. Judges Viktoryja \u0160abunia and D\u017amitryj Karasiuk in Minsk imposed more than 100 sentences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year, 313 people were prosecuted for possessing opposition symbols, according to the Supreme Court’s data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of December 13, human rights defenders identified at least 1,281 political prisoners but the real number is considerably higher because many cases go undocumented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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