{"id":91270,"date":"2024-06-18T11:22:13","date_gmt":"2024-06-18T08:22:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/91270\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"update-on-arrests-trials-politically-motivated-persecution-178","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/91270\/","title":{"rendered":"Update on arrests, trials, politically-motivated persecution"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

June 18, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> Among the new instances of politically-motivated persecution documented in Belarus from June 15 to 17, rights groups pointed out the persecution of people for refusing to let law enforcers enter their homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At least two Minsk residents have been recently given two-week jail terms, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported, noting that authorities filed charges of petty hooliganism or disobeying police orders in dozens of similar incidents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arrests and trials<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pro-government sources reported the arrests of a man from Lepiel, Viciebsk region, and a man known as Kiry\u0142 \u010caladzinski on social media for alleged participation in 2020 postelection protests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ivan Caryk was presumably arrested for sharing personal data of a Minsk judge with an opposition online initiative, Mediazona<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Police also arrested five employees of the HAVER BY wire weaving factory in Lida, Hrodna region, without disclosing the reasons, a pro-government source said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A judge in Homiel sentenced Leanid Sudalenka, a prominent exiled Belarusian human rights defender, to five years in prison without the defendant being present at the trial, Viasna said. He was also ordered to pay a fine of 26,000 rubels (about $7,900). Authorities accused Sudalenka of facilitating extremism in connection with his work for Viasna, designated as an extremist group in Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Extremist” list update<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities branded PETLYARIS<\/em> Telegram channel, Prostymi S\u0142ovami <\/em>YouTube channel as well as NARODNYREPORTER<\/em> and SIARHEI PIATRUKHIN<\/em> on TikTok as extremist content, Viasna said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other cases<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prison authorities at Penal Colony No 15 in Mahilo\u016d transferred human rights defender Valancin Stefanovi\u010d to the internal prison for six months, Radyjo Svaboda<\/em> reported. He is serving a nine-year prison term in a politically-motivated case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Propaganda worker Ihar Tur announced on the ONT<\/em> TV channel that authorities may seize property from as many as 1,000 exiled Belarusians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rights groups declared Via\u010das\u0142a\u016d Niehadzienka, Alaksandar Ijoda, Jazep Duleba, Anatol Va\u0142ad\u017ako and Aksana \u0141apko political prisoners. Authorities persecuted them for alleged links with opposition groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of June 18, human rights defenders identified at least 1,398 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

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