Criminal prosecution in 2022: 1,242 persons convicted on political grounds
Throughout 2022, the Belarusian judicial system has been actively criminalizing citizens for political reasons, as documented by the Human rights center Viasna.
Viasna has collected information on at least 1,242 persons convicted on political grounds over the past year. Of this number, 942 were men and 300 were women.
In total, the courts handed down the following punishments in the criminal cases known to Viasna for 2022:
- 636 people were sentenced to a total of 2501 years and 3 months of imprisonment
- 1 person received 6 months of suspended imprisonment
- 190 people were sentenced to a total of 452 years and 2 months of freedom restriction in open-type penal facilities
- 6 people were sentenced to a total of 893 years and 6 months of freedom restriction under home confinement
- 24 people were sentenced to 5 years and 7 months of arrest (short-term imprisonment)
- 12 people received fines totaling 71,400 Belarusian rubles (approx. $28,000) as the main punishment
- 144 people received fines totaling 1.15 million Belarusian rubles (approx. $450,000) as an additional punishment
- 6 people were sentenced to coercive measures and mental treatment with ordinary supervision
- 9 people were sentenced to coercive security and treatment measures along with other forms of punishment
- 4 people were banned from holding managerial and administrative positions for a total of 20 years in addition to imprisonment
- 1 person was banned from law enforcement positions for 5 years
- 2 people were stripped of the military ranks of lieutenant colonel and retired senior warrant officer in addition to imprisonment
In 2022, the courts handed down custodial sentences in about half (51%) of all cases. Another 15% of the sentences involved restriction of freedom in open-type facilities while home confinement was ordered in almost every third case (30%). In 2% of ‘political’ cases, the court ordered the arrest, a short-term form of imprisonment. Coercive hospitalization was applied in 0.5% of cases. A fine was applied as a measure of criminal liability in 1% of cases of conviction. In less than 1% of convictions, conditional deprivation of freedom was ordered.
Thus, various types of custodial and freedom-restricting sentences including coercive treatment in a hospital were handed down in 99% of all politically motivated cases in 2022.
Most popular accusations
According to human rights defenders' estimates, the most politically motivated criminal proceedings were held under such articles of the Criminal Code as “organization or active participation in group actions that grossly violate public order” (Art. 342), “insulting a government official” (Art. 369), and “insulting the president of Belarus” (Art. 368).
Distribution of convictions by region
The most politically motivated criminal trials were recorded by human rights defenders in Minsk (542 people). The capital is followed by Brest and Homieĺ regions (166 people each).
Repressive Judges “Honor Board”
