{"id":85581,"date":"2024-05-17T11:30:04","date_gmt":"2024-05-17T08:30:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/85581\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"reprisals-against-exiled-regime-critics-pick-up-pace","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/85581\/","title":{"rendered":"Reprisals against exiled regime critics pick up pace"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

May 17, Pozirk<\/em>. <\/strong>New cases of politically-motivated persecution documented on May 16 showed that Belarusian authorities are expanding reprisals against their exiled opponents, filing criminal charges and threatening property seizure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Investigative Committee announced yesterday that it opened a criminal case against 104 exiled Belarusians who celebrated Freedom Day on March 25 abroad. Authorities accuse them of association with an extremist group and discrediting Belarus, as the current government does not recognize Freedom Day as an official holiday and denigrates the proclamation of Belarusian independence in 1918.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Investigators threatened exiled activists with expropriation, with the confiscation of a house from Warsaw-based activist Hanna Fiedaronak reported by Radyjo Svaboda<\/em> later on Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Julija Sli\u016dko, an exiled activist from Hrodna, said on Facebook that Belarusian authorities also seized some property in her name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a separate incident, a judge in Minsk sentenced exiled politician Ivan Kra\u016dco\u016d to 11 years in prison without the defendant being present, the Supreme Court reported. The associate of former presidential candidate Viktar Babaryka was found guilty of conspiring to overthrow the government, forming an extremist group and inciting hatred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Committee for State Security designated more than 120 candidates in next week\u2019s election for the opposition Coordination Council as extremists, the interior ministry said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exiled Belarusian actor Alaksandar \u017ddanovi\u010d said on Facebook that law enforcers called his family in Belarus and threatened with a possible raid. The actor fled Belarus more than two years ago fearing politically-motivated persecution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inside Belarus<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On May 16, police-linked Telegram channels released several forced confessions by Belarusians who participated in 2020 postelection protests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kiry\u0142 Va\u017amila\u016d from Klimavi\u010dy, Mahilo\u016d region, admitted under duress to burning the state flag after a party at his home in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other videos, a woman known as Karyna Ramano\u016dskaja on social media said she participated in protest rallies and followed opposition content, while Siarhiej Manach from Padsville, Viciebsk region, admitted to insulting Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka and calling for violence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Catholic priests Andrej Juchnievi\u010d and Pavie\u0142 Lemiech, arrested on May 8 in the Viciebsk region, are serving jail terms of 15 and 10 days, respectively, catholicnews.by<\/em> reported, without commenting on charges against them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pro-Russian activist Alaksandar Andrejka\u016d, 74, was tried in Viciebsk for allegedly sharing government-critical content, the electronic court schedule said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

D\u017amitryj Baraban is on trial in Hrodna on charges of rioting and defaming the head of state in connection with social media posts critical of \u0141uka\u0161enka, the Sudy. Zaderzhaniya. Grodno i Oblast<\/em> Telegram channel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of May 17, human rights defenders identified at least 1,365 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\n\n\n

\n\n
\n \"\"