Eight more people recognized political prisoners

Joint statement by the Belarusian human rights community

July 17, 2023

The Belarusian human rights community notes an increase in the number of convictions and imprisonments under several defamation and desecration of state symbols articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus and for other actions aimed at the lawful exercise of the freedom of expression.
 
We demand to put an end to the persecution of legitimate expression of views and, reaffirming our repeated calls to decriminalize defamation and to refrain from imposing custodial sentences for insulting officials, the state, government agencies, and symbols (as mentioned in the Joint statement of December 22, 2020), note the following:

At the moment, we know about the following persons imprisoned for having allegedly insulted Mr. Aliaksandr Lukashenka, police officers, judges, desecrated state and state symbols, and exercised their freedom of opinion in other forms:

• Mr. Siarhei Kemezh was convicted under Article 369 of the Criminal Code for “insulting a government official” and sentenced to 24 months of imprisonment in a penal colony.
• Ms. Katsiaryna Leu was convicted under Article 369 of the Criminal Code for “insulting a government official” and sentenced to 24 months of imprisonment in a penal colony.
• Mr. Dzianis Salahub was convicted under Articles 369 and 368 of the Criminal Code for “insulting a government official and the president of Belarus,” and under part 1 of Article 342 for participation in peaceful protests. He was sentenced to 24 months of imprisonment in a penal colony.
• Mr. Aleh Kardash was convicted of “insulting the president of Belarus” by an inscription made in public space and sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment in a penal colony under Articles 368 and 341 of the Criminal Code.
• Mr. Dzmitryi Utouka was convicted of “insulting a government official, a judge, and the president of Belarus” under Articles 369, 391, and 368 of the Criminal Code and sentenced to imprisonment in a penal colony.
• Ms. Sviatlana Bakanava was placed in custody under Article 368 of the Criminal Code for “insulting the president of Belarus.”
• Mr. Vadzim Kaushou was convicted of “insulting the president of Belarus” under Article 368 of the Criminal Code and sentenced to 24 months of imprisonment in a penal colony.
• Ms. Natallia Chavusava was convicted under Articles 367 and 368 of the Criminal Code of “insulting and slandering the president of Belarus” and sentenced to imprisonment in a penal colony.

We consider the persecution and imprisonment of the named individuals to be politically motivated, related to the peaceful exercise of expressing thoughts, and consider them political prisoners per paragraph 3.1(a) of the Guidelines on the Definition of Political Prisoners. We demand from the Belarusian authorities:

1. Immediately release the political prisoners Mr. Siarhei Kemezh, Ms. Katsiaryna Leu, Mr. Dzianis Salahub, Mr. Aleh Kardash, Mr. Dzmitryi Utouka, Ms. Sviatlana Bakanava, Mr. Vadzim Kaushou, and Ms. Natallia Chavusava and stop the criminal prosecution against them.
2. To adopt measures aimed at the decriminalization of defamation offenses and repeal the articles of the Criminal Code that provide liability for insulting the state and state symbols, namely Articles 188, 189, 361, 367, 368, 369-369, 1, 370, and 391 of the Criminal Code, and drop all ongoing criminal cases under these articles.
3. Immediately release all political prisoners and stop political repression.

Human Rights Center Viasna

Legal initiative

Lawtrend

Barys Zvozskau Belarusian Human Rights House

Belarusian Association of Journalists

PEN Belarus

Belarusian Helsinki Committee

Office for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Human Constanta