{"id":208387,"date":"2026-10-21T17:59:26","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T14:59:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/208387\/"},"modified":"2026-10-21T18:00:08","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T15:00:08","slug":"nine-exiled-activists-face-serious-charges-in-belarus-for-running-local-chats-in-2020","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/208387\/","title":{"rendered":"Nine exiled activists face serious charges in Belarus over links to local chats in 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"block-image block-image-normal\">\n\n  <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/photo_2026-10-21_16-19-48.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/photo_2026-10-21_16-19-48.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/photo_2026-10-21_16-19-48-236x236.jpg 236w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/photo_2026-10-21_16-19-48-490x490.jpg 490w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/photo_2026-10-21_16-19-48-768x768.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/>\n  <figcaption>\n  \n       <div class=\"block-image__author\">\n                <span>(spring96.org)<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n     <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>October 21, <em>Pozirk.<\/em> <\/strong>The Belarusian Investigative Committee has initiated special proceedings against nine exiled activists, suspected of running local chats that had emerged during the 2020 postelection protests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Stanis\u0142a\u016d Botvin, Natalla Hu\u017eava, Kastu\u015b Kirylenka, Ihar Licha\u010d, Volha Niachaj\u010dyk, Lizavieta Plitnik, Andrej Pupkievi\u010d, Iryna Trafimik and Ivan Amalan were charged with conspiring to seize state power and setting up extremist groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Two years ago, a wave of arrests swept across Belarus after authorities accused grassroots activists of trying to \u201cunite into an organization with the goal of seizing power.\u201d In late 2024, dozens of people were sentenced to heavy fines and prison over association with opposition chats on Telegram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Amendments listing 34 offenses and allowing for investigations and trials in absentia came into effect in July 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"insert-block\">\n\n    <div class=\"insert-block__img\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"354\" height=\"236\" src=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/pozirk_color_blank_1128x752-354x236.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/pozirk_color_blank_1128x752-354x236.jpg 354w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/pozirk_color_blank_1128x752-734x490.jpg 734w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/pozirk_color_blank_1128x752-178x118.jpg 178w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/pozirk_color_blank_1128x752-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/pozirk_color_blank_1128x752.jpg 1128w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 354px) 100vw, 354px\" \/>                        <label class=\"insert-block__tag--mobile\"> Politics<\/label>\n\n                <\/div>\n    <div class=\"insert-block__text\">\n                    <label class=\"insert-block__tag\">Politics<\/label>\n                <h3 class=\"insert-block__title\">New cases of politically motivated persecution reported in Belarus<\/h3>\n        <div class=\"insert-block__descr\">October 17, Pozirk. Sources in Belarus reported new extremist and terrorist designations and other instances of politically motivated persecution in Belarus&nbsp;on October 16. Below is Pozirk\u2019s recap: Belarusian human rights defenders have declared eight more individuals as political prisoners, taking &#8230;<\/div>\n        <a class=\"insert-block__btn-block\" href=\"\/en\/news\/207882\">\n            <button class=\"btn\">\n                <div class='btn__text'>Read the article<\/div>\n            <\/button>\n        <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>October 21, Pozirk. The Belarusian Investigative Committee has initiated special proceedings against nine exiled activists, suspected of running local chats that had emerged during the 2020 postelection protests. Stanis\u0142a\u016d Botvin, Natalla Hu\u017eava, Kastu\u015b Kirylenka, Ihar Licha\u010d, Volha Niachaj\u010dyk, Lizavieta Plitnik, Andrej Pupkievi\u010d, Iryna Trafimik and Ivan Amalan were charged with conspiring to seize state power [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":208368,"template":"","rubric":[16],"class_list":["post-208387","articles","type-articles","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","rubric-politics"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Nine exiled activists face serious charges in Belarus over links to local chats in 2020 | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"October 21, Pozirk. 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