{"id":191936,"date":"2026-06-15T21:31:05","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T18:31:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/191936\/"},"modified":"2026-06-15T21:31:24","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T18:31:24","slug":"law-enforcers-extort-donations-to-drop-bielaruski-hajun-charges-report","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/191936\/","title":{"rendered":"Law enforcers extort \u201cdonations\u201d to drop Bie\u0142aruski Hajun charges \u2013 report"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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June 15, Pozirk. <\/em><\/strong>Law enforcers are offering to drop criminal charges in the Bie\u0142aruski Hajun case in exchange for \u201cvoluntary donations\u201d to state agencies, the Viasna Human Rights Center reports, citing one of the defendants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The man told Viasna that he was asked to transfer the equivalent of several thousand US dollars to the state-run medical center over a single message sent to the project\u2019s chatbot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rights defenders also said they had information about another former defendant who had been tortured in custody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So far, Viasna confirmed at least 200 arrests over links to Bie\u0142aruski Hajun, a now-defunct opposition initiative founded after the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 to monitor military activity in Belarus. The project folded in February 2025, soon after unknown individuals gained access to its chatbot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The total number of detainees in the case may be significantly higher as arrests and trials are still taking place across Belarus. Some of those arrested reportedly have been released on bail pending trials on extremism-related charges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year, the interior ministry has put 432 individuals on its \u201clist of extremists,\u201d most of them charged in the Bie\u0142aruski Hajun case, Viasna noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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