News on the topic: criminal prosecution
22.12.2020 New godparents for Belarusian political prisoners
Members of the European Parliament and German Bundestag take over godparenthood for Viachaslau Sheliamet, Hleb Fitsner, Yan Salanovich, Yana Arabeika, Artur Khalimonchyk and Siarhei Kapanets
22.12.2020 Tsikhanouskaya and Coordination Council members facing new charges of creating an extremist group
The Prosecutor General’s Office has opened a criminal case targeting former presidential candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and members of the opposition Coordination Council over their alleged involvement in the creation of an extremist group (Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code), according to the authority’s website.
19.12.2020 German MPs take over godparenthood for Eduard Palchys, Dzmitry Kubarau and Maksim Babich
As part of the solidarity campaign #WeStandBYyou of Libereco, Nils Schmid (SPD), Carl-Julius Cronenberg (FDP) and Lukas Köhler (FDP) have taken over a godparenthood for political prisoners in Belarus.
19.12.2020 Artsiom Sarokin is new political prisoner
Joint statement by Belarusian human rights organizations
17.12.2020 Members of the Swiss National Council take over godparenthood for professor Volha Filatchankava and student Uladzislau Martsinovich
As part of the solidarity campaign #WeStandBYyou of Libereco, Céline Widmer (SP) and Jon Pult (SP) have taken over a godparenthood for political prisoners in Belarus.
17.12.2020 Immediately release political prisoners Tsikhan Kliukach and Safiya Malashevich
Statement by the human rights organizations of Belarus
17.12.2020 100 godparents for political prisoners in Belarus
Cem Özdemir, Member of the Bundestag and former long-time leader of Alliance 90/The Greens, is the 100th MP who takes over a godparenthood for political prisoners in Belarus, symbolically adopting journalist Katsiaryna Barysevich.
17.12.2020 Amnesty International: Witness in police killing of protester faces life sentence
Belarusian authorities are attempting to cover up the killing of a peaceful protester by police by bringing serious criminal charges against a key witness, Amnesty International said.
16.12.2020 One more defamation sentence: Man with cancer gets one year in prison for “insulting” Lukashenka
The Chojniki District Court sentenced today a disabled resident of Homieĺ to 12 months in a penal colony for “publicly insulting the president” at an election rally on July 28.
15.12.2020 Two more persons convicted for "insulting" police officers
Yury Karnilovich, a 31-year-old welder at the MAZ automotive manufacturer, was sentenced today to three years in an open-type penal colony (so called “khimiya”) for allegedly insulting former Interior Minister Yury Karayeu in a comment on YouTube. The sentence is the heaviest possible penalty provided by the charge.
15.12.2020 Political prisoner Ihar Losik goes on hunger strike to protest new charges
Political prisoner Ihar Losik has declared an indefinite hunger strike after he faced today new charges of “plotting riots” (Art 13, Part 2 of Art. 293 of the Criminal Code) in addition to an earlier charge of “breaching public order” (Part 1 of Art. 342).
14.12.2020 More German MPs are godparents for Belarusian political prisoners
As part of the solidarity campaign #WeStandBYyou of Libereco, Sandra Bubendorfer-Licht (FDP), Oliver Luksic (FDP) and Marja-Liisa Völlers (SPD) have taken over a godparenthood for political prisoners Mikhail Kalishuk, Yahor Kanetski and Andrei Papou.
10.12.2020 New godparents for Belarusian political prisoners
Members of German Bundestag and the European Parliament take over godparenthood for Dzianis Boltuts, Anton Bialenski and Yauhen Afnahel
08.12.2020 “We Will Not Forget”: Prison sentences for writing on pavement
The Frunzienski District Court of Minsk sentenced today Maksim Pauliushchyk to two years in prison for spray-painting “We Will Not Forget” on the pavement near the Puškinskaja metro station as a sign of remembrance of protester Aliaksandr Taraikouski who died on the spot on August 10, reportedly from a rubber bullet fired by a law enforcement officer.
07.12.2020 Swiss national gets 2 ½ years in prison for tearing balaclava off riot policeman
Natallia Hersche, a Belarus-born 51-year-old Swiss national, has been sentenced today to two and a half years in prison for removing a balaclava from a riot police officer during a protest on September 19.
