The statement on the recognition of 10 people as political prisoners

Joint statement by the Belarusian human rights community

June 14, 2024

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 insulted Aliaksandr Lukashenka, government officials (police officers), judges, desecrated state ans state symbols, and exercised their freedom of opinion in other forms:

Tatsiana Linnik under Articles 369, 368, 391 of the Criminal Code for insulting a representative of the authorities, A. Lukashenka and judges; she was sentenced to two years of imprisonment in a penal colony;

Siarhei Belski under Article 368 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka; he was sentenced to two years and six months in a penal colony;

Dzmitry Davydau under Article 367 of the Criminal Code for defamation of A. Lukashenka; he was sentenced to two years of imprisonment in a penal colony;

Fiodar Matoryn under Article 367 of the Criminal Code for defamation of A. Lukashenka; he was sentenced to three years and six months of restriction of freedom in an open-type correctional institution and sent to serve his sentence;

Vasil Kavaliou under Articles 369, 369-1 of the Criminal Code for insulting a representative of the authorities, discrediting Belarus; he was sentenced to imprisonment in a penal colony;

Dzmitry Danilchyk under Articles 369, 368 of the Criminal Code for insulting a representative of the authorities, A. Lukashenka; he was sentenced to one year in a penal colony;

Siarhei Hniauko under Article 368 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka; he was sentenced to four years and six months in a penal colony;

Uladzimir Karotki under Article 370 of the Criminal Code for mocking state symbols; he was sentenced to two years of imprisonment in a penal colony;

and also about the detention of:

Andrei Burdzenia under Articles 368, 367, 369, 130 of the Criminal Code for comments addressed to A. Lukashenka, government representatives, Russian military;

Mikalai Khila under Article 368 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka.

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 in accordance with paragraph 3.1(a) of the Guidelines on the Definition of Political Prisoners. We demand from the Belarusian authorities:

• immediately release political prisoners Tatsiana Linnik, Siarhei Belski, Dzmitry Davydau, Fiodar Matoryn, Vasil Kavaliou, Dzmitry Danilchyk, Siarhei Hniauko, Uladzimir Karotki, Andrei Burdzenia, Mikalai Khila and stop criminal prosecution against them;

• take measures aimed at decriminalizing defamation offenses and repealing articles of the Criminal Code that provide for liability for insulting the State, state symbols and officials, namely, Articles 188, 189, 361, 367, 368, 369, 369-1, 370, and 391 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus, and to terminate all previously initiated under these articles criminal cases;

• immediately release all political prisoners and stop political repression.

Human Rights Center Viasna;

Legal initiative;

Belarusian Helsinki Committee;

Barys Zvozskau Belarusian Human Rights House;

Human Constanta;

Lawtrend;

Office for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;

PEN Belarus.