{"id":47664,"date":"2023-07-18T11:17:42","date_gmt":"2023-07-18T08:17:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/api.pozirk.online\/articles\/update-on-arrests-trials-politically-motivated-persecution\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T20:29:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T20:29:13","slug":"update-on-arrests-trials-politically-motivated-persecution","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/47664\/","title":{"rendered":"Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution"},"content":{"rendered":"

July 18, BPN.<\/span> <\/b>New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on July 17.<\/p>\n

Arrests<\/p>\n

Law enforcers in Minsk arrested journalist Ihar Karniej, his daughter said on Facebook. He is serving a 10-day sentence at the detention center on Akre\u015bcina Street, she said, adding that his home was searched. Karniej had cooperated with independent media.<\/p>\n

An undergraduate student of law was detained and expelled from a university for allegedly buying a thesis paper with references to “extremist” articles. The real author of the thesis was later detained as well, according to pro-government media.<\/p>\n

Law enforcers arrested a resident of Babrujsk, Mahilo\u016d region, who allegedly wanted to join the Ukrainian Armed Forces, pro-government media said.<\/p>\n

Two Minskers were arrested for protesting, pro-government media reported. During the arrest, one of them was stripped down to his underwear, put on his knees, handcuffed, wrapped in a white-red-white flag and subjected to other humiliating treatment.<\/p>\n

Trials<\/p>\n

On June 27, Ivar \u0141anhie was convicted of insulting a state official. A court sentenced him to three months in jail for a comment on the social network Odnoklassniki, according to Viasna.<\/p>\n

On June 8, a sentence was handed to Alaksiej Skirda, accused of participating in Minsk protests in 2020, Viasna reported. A court sentenced him to two and a half years of restricted freedom, a type of home confinement.<\/p>\n

On May 15, a district court in Hrodna convicted Alaksandar Baravik of insulting state officials, Viasna said. He was sentenced to one year in prison over remarks about Interior Minister Ivan Kubrako\u016d and Minsk’s police official U\u0142adzimir Kubrako\u016d, his son.<\/p>\n

On July 11, a court found Hanna Kandracienka guilty of insulting a state official, Mayday.Team reported. That was her second conviction. On July 12, 2022 she was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for similar “crimes.”<\/p>\n

\u0141arysa \u0160\u010dyrakova, a former journalist from Homiel, will go on trial at a regional court on July 27. She is charged with two counts of extremism and with “discrediting the Republic of Belarus,” according to Viasna Homiel. \u0160\u010dyrakova was arrested in December 2022. She will be tried behind closed doors.<\/p>\n

The trial of photographer and journalist D\u017amitryj Bajarovi\u010d and his wife Valeryja will begin on July 19. They were arrested in mid-March in Bara\u016dlany, Minsk region, and charged with public order offenses, Viasna reported.<\/p>\n

On May 17, U\u0142adzimir Hrakovi\u010d from Miory, Viciebsk region, was given six days in jail for violating a picketing procedure and distributing “extremist content,” Viasna reported.<\/p>\n

Extremism lists<\/p>\n

The authorities have labeled the Telegram channel Pravovaya Initsiativa, the TikTok account Salidarna\u015b\u0107, the VKontakte group Belorusskiy Partizan<\/span> and over a dozen other social media accounts as “extremist content,” according to the Ministry of Information.<\/p>\n

Political prisoners<\/p>\n

Belarusian human rights groups declared eight more people political prisoners. They are: Siarhiej Kiemie\u017e, Kaciaryna Le\u016d, Dzianis Sa\u0142ahub, Aleh Karda\u0161, D\u017amitryj Uto\u016dka, \u015aviat\u0142ana Bakanava, Vadzim Ka\u016d\u0161o\u016d and Natalla \u010cavusava.<\/p>\n

Other<\/p>\n

On July 27, the Supreme Court will consider the justice ministry’s request to shut down the Green Party, according to a schedule of trials.<\/p>\n

As of July 19, human rights defenders identified at least 1,486 political prisoners but the real number is considerably higher because many cases go undocumented. Opposition sources estimate the number of political prisoners at around 5,000.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

July 18, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on July 17. Arrests Law enforcers in Minsk arrested journalist Ihar Karniej, his daughter said on Facebook. He is serving a 10-day sentence at the detention center on Akre\u015bcina Street, she said, adding that his home was searched. Karniej had cooperated with independent […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":0,"template":"","rubric":[16],"class_list":["post-47664","articles","type-articles","status-publish","hentry","rubric-politics"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nUpdate on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"July 18, BPN. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on July 17. 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