{"id":178471,"date":"2026-03-07T13:52:07","date_gmt":"2026-03-07T10:52:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/178471\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"journalist-activists-tried-convicted-in-belarus-in-politically-motivated-crackdown","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/178471\/","title":{"rendered":"Journalist, activists tried, convicted in Belarus in politically-motivated crackdown"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

March 7, Pozirk.<\/em> <\/strong>New trials, convictions, terrorist and extremist designations, digital censorship and harassment of opposition activists were reported in Belarus on March 5 and 6.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prosecutors in Viciebsk are to put on trial a 39-year old man over two comments posted on Telegram four years ago. The man is accused of insulting the head of state, the Viciebsk branch of the Viasna Human Rights Center reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The trial of journalist Pavie\u0142 Dabravolski, accused of high treason, has been held behind closed doors since February 27. The former BelaPAN<\/em> staff writer may face up to 15 years in prison, if convicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hrodna-based activist Valancina Na\u016dmava, arrested last fall, was confronted with new charges, including complicity in a crime, inciting social hatred, facilitating extremism and defaming the head of state, Haradzienskaja Pravaabarona reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Hrodna, a regional court judge convicted Andrej Kuliko\u016d, an IT professional, of facilitating extremism. He was given a prison or restricted freedom sentence, the Homiel branch of Viasna reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A judge sentenced Cina Pa\u0142ynskaja, a Po\u0142ack-based opposition activist, and her daughter Marharyta Rabinovi\u010d to two years in prison for alleged association with an extremist group, Viasna reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Minsk City Court sentenced Alena Malino\u016dskaja, a woman imprisoned for more than four years in a politically-motivated case, to an additional term. However, since she was in pre-trial detention for quite long, she was released in the court room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka on March 5, by his edict, granted pardon to 18 prisoners, including 15 people convicted of extremism-related offences, the Belarusian ruler\u2019s press office reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 2020, the Belarusian leader pardoned 605 political prisoners but his security apparatus put 4,499 people in prison on political grounds. Since May 2020, at least 9,480 activists have been prosecuted in politically-motivated criminal cases, Viasna said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarus\u2019 interior ministry added 20 names to its list of extremists, taking the total of entries to 6,373.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Committee for State Security (KGB) added seven individuals to its list of \u201cpersons involved in terrorist activity,\u201d among them three Belarusians and four Sudanese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Sudanese nationals were blacklisted because they appear on the United Nations Security Council\u2019s sanctions list, while the terrorist designations applied to Belarusians are linked to convictions on terrorism-related charges that Belarusian authorities routinely use to persecute the opposition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are Hleb Ryb\u010danka, Vital Abadzienka and D\u017amitryj Kalino\u016dski. Last month, all three were also branded as \u201cextremists.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The information ministry expanded its list of extremist content adding the following social media accounts: vladimirshantsev and theothersby on Instagram; the video entitled \u0410\u043b\u0435\u043a\u0441\u0430\u043d\u0434\u0440 \u041b\u0443\u043a\u0430\u0448\u0435\u043d\u043a\u043e _ 30 \u041b\u0435\u0442 \u0443 \u0412\u043b\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0438. \u0418\u0442\u043e\u0433\u0438<\/em>; the website and social media pages \u0413\u044d\u0442\u0430 \u0411\u0430\u0437\u0430<\/em>; \u0411\u0415\u041b\u0410\u0420\u0423\u0421\u042c \u0411\u0415\u0417 \u0422\u0410\u0420\u0410\u041a\u0410\u041d\u0410<\/em> on OK; \u0411\u0435\u043b\u0430\u0440\u0443\u0441\u044c \u0424\u0430\u043a\u0442\u044b<\/em>, Pa\u00faliuk Horba\u010d<\/em> on Threads; \u0411\u0435\u043b\u0430\u0440\u0443\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f \u041d\u0430\u0446\u044b\u044f\u043d\u0430\u043b\u044c\u043d\u0430\u044f \u041f\u0440\u044d\u043c\u0456\u044f<\/em>, \u041f\u0430\u0432\u0435\u043b \u0421\u0435\u0432\u044f\u0440\u044b\u043d\u0435\u0446<\/em>, Bielorussi di Roma\/ Belarusians in Rome<\/em>, Gobelarus<\/em>, \u0421\u044f\u0440\u0433\u0435\u0439 \u0421\u043f\u0430\u0440\u044b\u0448<\/em>, \u0424\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0446\u0456\u0448\u0430\u043a \u0412\u044f\u0447\u043e\u0440\u043a\u0430<\/em>, \u0418\u0437\u0440\u0430\u0438\u043b\u044c \u0437\u0430 \u0421\u0432\u043e\u0431\u043e\u0434\u043d\u0443\u044e \u0411\u0435\u043b\u0430\u0440\u0443\u0441\u044c \u2022 \u0438\u043d\u0444\u043e\u0446\u0435\u043d\u0442\u0440<\/em> and Siarhei Pelesa<\/em> on Facebook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Security officers in Hrodna region have approached relatives of exiled activists in attempts to recruit informers, Sudy, Zaderzhaniya. Grodno I Oblast<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rights defenders documented 65 instances of politically-motivated persecution in February, according to Viasna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of March 6, human rights defenders identified at least 1,140 political prisoners, but the real number is considerably higher because of many undocumented cases.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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