The pressure continues: what happened to political prisoners between June 19 and July 16
For over three years and a half, the security forces in Belarus have been relentlessly carrying out mass repressions. Each week, the number of political prisoners increases, and human rights defenders receive daily updates about detainees' terrible conditions, pressure from the prison administration, and the worsening health of political prisoners in custody. Viasna reports the latest news about political prisoners.
41 people were recognized as political prisoners over the past week. At the moment, there are 1,392 people on the list of political prisoners. In addition, human rights activists learned that more than 50 political prisoners had served their sentences and were released, including Siarhei Hun, Aliaksandr Novikau, Yury Sedzianeuski, Aliaksei Zabiran, Yauhen Barouski, Yauhen Homanau, Iryna Shchasnaya.
Human rights activists also learned about the sentences of eight political prisoners in politically motivated cases:
- Eduard Babaryka — two more years of penal colony;
- Ivan Viarbitski — two more years of penal colony;
- Alena Karpenka — one and a half years of penal colony;
- Darya Khmialnitskaya — five and a half years of penal colony;
- Volha Brytsikava — three years of penal colony;
- Iryna Pahadayeva — three years of penal colony;
- Lizaveta Shulskaya — two and a half years of home confinement;
- Maksim Panou — two and a half years of home confinement.
Information vacuum created around Maryia Kalesnikava in Homieĺ colony No. 4
A former political prisoner told Viasna that the administration of the colony forbids women to communicate with Maryia. The guards always go with her, even to the toilet.
"One day, Maryia received a violation record because she was not dressed according to the rules. They said that someone put some pill into her cup. And Maryia asked loudly: 'Who put the pill here?' It is clear that this does not happen accidentally, without the permission of the operatives.
We worked together at the factory for a while, but we couldn't talk, so we just winked at each other. Before being placed in a punishment cell [PKT] in March 2023, Maryia recovered a little: she looked better and smiled, but still she lost weight."
The woman recalls that one prisoner once asked Maryia for an autograph, and she said: "An autograph? Are you joking? I'm not allowed to talk to anyone, and if someone sees us now, there will be problems."
Political prisoner Aliaksandr Hashnikau received a tougher punishment
Aliaksandr is an employee of the Belarusian Metallurgical Plant in Žlobin. He was detained on September 18, 2021 in the case of the Workers' Movement. This initiative was recognized as extremist on September 21, 2021, and at the same time, workers were detained throughout the country.
On February 17, 2023, in Homieĺ Regional Court, judge Aliaksandr Piskunou found Aliaksandr guilty under Part 1 of Article 356 of the Criminal Code (treason to the state), Part 3 of Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code (creation of an extremist formation and participation in it), and sentenced him to 14 years of imprisonment. The political prisoner is serving his term in Navapolack colony No. 1.
On May 28, Navapolack Court heard the case for increasing the detention security level for the political prisoner. By the decision of judge Vital Lapko, Aliaksandr was transferred to a prison security level in Mahilioŭ.
Political prisoner Ruslan Volkau was convicted of "malicious disobedience to the administration of the colony"
Ruslan was detained on June 4, 2021 in the Iŭje district while trying to cross the Belarusian-Lithuanian border to move to the European Union. He was accused of participating in "mass riots" (Article 293 of the Criminal Code) in Brest in August 2020.
On November 8, 2021, in the Leninski District Court of Brest, Ruslan was sentenced to four years in a medium security penal colony. He is serving his term in Navapolack colony No. 1.
On July 1, a new trial over Ruslan took place in Navapolack under Part 2 of Article 411 of the Criminal Code (malicious disobedience to the colony administration). The case was handled by Judge Vital Lapko. The result of the trial is still unknown.
Political prisoner Dzmitry Sluk was transferred to a prison security level
The political prisoner was detained on February 10, 2023. After 10 days in the temporary detention facility at Akrescina, he was transferred to a pre-trial detention center. He was accused of "financing terrorist activities" under Article 290-1 of the Criminal Code.
The court sentenced him to eight years and six months in a penal colony and a fine of 11.1 thousand rubles (more than 3,100 euros).
The political prisoner was sent to serve his term in Viciebsk colony No. 3. At the initiative of the administration, Dzmitry's punishment was increased. The trial on increasing the security level to a prison one took place in Viciebsk on June 24. The decision was made by judge Mikhail Zubenia.
Political prisoner Andrei Liubetski was transferred to the Žodzina prison
Jaw surgeon Andrei Liubetski worked for 18 years at the Children's Hospital No. 4 in Minsk. He was a volunteer near Akrescina. Andrei has four children. The political prisoner was detained on May 4, 2021.
In April 2022, judge Sviatlana Charapanava sentenced the doctor to five years in a penal colony. He served time in Babrujsk colony No. 2.
In Babrujsk, on June 26, the case was heard on increasing Andrei's security level to a prison one. The trial was handled by judge Pavel Kartsinin. As a result, Andrei was transferred to Žodzina prison No. 8 until the end of his term.
Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk was assigned another psychological and psychiatric examination
Brest Viasna learned about this from Palina's husband. Three previous examinations have shown that the woman's mental health is normal.
Recall that the political prisoner was supposed to be released on May 21, but two days before that she had been transferred to a pre-trial detention center as part of a new criminal case under Article 411 of the Criminal Code (malicious disobedience to the colony administration).
Political prisoner Tsimur Ryzapur is tried for "malicious disobedience to the colony administration"
Tsimur was detained on September 30, 2020 in Brest. On the evening of August 10, when he was returning home from work, he was shot with rubber bullets five times: once in the stomach and four times in the buttock. Later, he was accused of "participating in mass riots" under Part 2 of Article 293 of the Criminal Code. Tsimur's wife and three minor children are waiting for him to be released.
Tsimur was sentenced to four and a half years in a penal colony. The political prisoner initially served his term in the Navapolack colony. The administration regularly placed him in solitary confinement, and then transferred him to PKT. Later, his punishment became stricter, and he was transferred to a prison security level.
On July 10, the Court of the Leninski District of Mahilioŭ began the trial under Part 2 of Article 411 of the Criminal Code (malicious disobedience to the administration of the colony). The case is handled by judge Natalia Zyk.
Political prisoner Mikita Zalatarou was convicted in another criminal case
Mikita was detained on August 11, 2020. Then he was 16 years old. In February 2021, the boy was sentenced to five years in a juvenile colony in the criminal case of Molotov Cocktails. He repeatedly reported the acts of torture to his father.
In July 2021, the boy was convicted again. He was accused of assaulting an employee of the pre-trial detention center-3 under Article 364 of the Criminal Code for "intentionally tripping an employee of the pre-trial detention center." Later, the political prisoner was transferred from a juvenile colony to a penal one. But soon Mikita was transferred to a prison security level.
On July 11, another trial took place in Žodzina over Mikita. He was charged under Part 2 of Article 411 of the Criminal Code (malicious disobedience to the requirements of the colony administration). Judge Anastasiya Kuka handled the case. The result of the trial is still unknown.
Political prisoner Aliaksandr Kulikou might be transferred to a prison security level
Aliaksandr was detained on June 1, 2023, right at the border upon his return from Poland. The man went abroad because of political persecution, but later the security forces promised him that if he returned, he would not be imprisoned.
At first, he was convicted for comments in "extremist" chats. And a few months later, he was tried for trying to join Kalinoŭski Regiment in Ukraine, as well as for "undergoing training to participate in extremist activities." In December, Aliaksandr was finally sentenced to four and a half years in prison. In March, it became known that the prosecutor had protested Kulikou's sentence, as a result of which he received an additional term of one and a half years.
It became known that on July 1, a trial was held in Ivacevičy to increase Aliaksandr's security level to a prison one. The trial was handled by judge Siarhei Kukhatskavolets. The result of the trial is still unknown.
Political prisoner Dzmitry Zahalavets has been tried for donations for the second time
Dzmitry was detained on January 20, 2023. Last year, he was sentenced to three and a half years in a penal colony. Then he was accused of "insulting Lukashenka" (Part 1 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code), "insulting a representative of power" (Article 369 of the Criminal Code), "facilitating extremist activities" (Part 1 of Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code) and "financing the activities of an extremist formation" (Article 361-2 of the Criminal Code).
Dzmitry is now being tried again for donations under Article 361-2 of the Criminal Code. The Vitebsk Regional Court started handling the case on July 11. The trial is presided by judge Yauhen Burunou.
The trial of a woman detained during a raid for solidarity with political prisoners will begin soon
The trial of political prisoner Alesia Siarheyenka will begin in the Mahilioŭ Regional Court on July 22. She is the wife of a former political prisoner Maksim Siarheyenka, who was released in February 2024. The trial will be handled by judge Iryna Lanchava. Alesia is charged under Part 1 and Part 2 of Articles 361-4 of the Criminal Code (assistance to extremist activities).
There are two children in the family, who are three and 16 years old. The political prisoner was detained on January 25, 2024 during a KGB raid related to the activity of the INeedHelpBY initiative.
Artist Ivan Viarbitski received another two years of imprisonment. He filed an appeal
Ivan is an artist from Halšany, and he has two higher educations. The political prisoner was found guilty under several criminal articles at once and sentenced to eight years and one month in a penal colony.
It is known that in the penal colony, the prisoner was put under pressure: for two months Ivan was kept in SHIZO and PKT. In September 2021, the political prisoner's punishment was increased and he was transferred to Mahilioŭ prison No. 4. In 2022, he was convicted under Part 1 of Article 411 of the Criminal Code (malicious disobedience to the requirements of the colony administration). Judge Tatsiana Kastsiuk handled the case.
On May 8, Ivan was tried again in Barysaŭ under Part 2 of Article 411 of the Criminal Code. Judge Liudmila Zinkevich sentenced him to another two years of imprisonment. The Minsk Regional Court will hear Ivan's appeal on July 26. The decision will be made by a judicial panel chaired by judge Aleh Lapeka.
Zmitser Dashkevich will be tried again for participating in protests
The political prisoner is accused under Article 342 of the Criminal Code (active participation in group actions that grossly violate public order). His trial will begin on July 17 in the Peršamajski District Court in Minsk. The case will be handled by judge Anastasiya Kulik.
Recall that the activist, along with his wife Anastasiya, was accused of participating in a protest on August 23, 2020. On July 14, 2022, Zmitser was sentenced to a year and a half in a penal colony, and Anastasiya was sentenced to three years of home confinement.
The activist was supposed to be released from correctional colony No. 14 upon the ending of his term on July 11, 2023. But immediately after the release, he was detained as part of a new criminal case under Article 411 of the Criminal Code (malicious disobedience to the requirements of the colony administration). Judge Tatsiana Dzeravianka sentenced the political prisoner to another year in a high security colony.
Three defendants in the Autukhovich case were charged compensation for "damage caused"
Recall that Mikalai Autukhovich was sentenced to 25 years of imprisonment, and Pavel Sava and Halina Dzerbysh, to 20 years. According to investigators, their actions caused damage to the car and house of one policeman totalling 35.8 thousand rubles (more that 10 thousand euros), as well as to the car of the second policeman totalling 4.4 thousand rubles (more than 1.2 thousand euros).
Recognized as victims, the security forces applied for compensation for the damage caused to them and received compensation from the state budget. In turn, the prosecutor of the Vaŭkavysk District filed lawsuits to recover from Autukhovich, Sava, and Dzerbysh "the sum of the damage caused by the crime."
These requirements were fully satisfied, and the decisions entered into force.
Ihar Alinevich was hospitalized in Kaliadzičy
As it became known to the Country for Life, Ihar has not been in prison in Žodzina for a week, but in a hospital in Kaliadzičy. The details are not known at the moment.
Ihar is an activist of the anarchist movement, who was detained while crossing the border of Belarus on the night of October 28–29, 2020. He was charged under a number of articles for arson of official cars, a traffic police building, the State Committee of Expertise in the Homieĺ region. As a result, Ihar was sentenced to 20 years in a medium security colony.
Later, his punishment became stricter, and he was transferred to a prison security level in Mahilioŭ.
A criminal case has been initiated against political prisoner Andrzej Yukhnevich. He will be transferred to a pre-trial detention center
Andrzej is a Catholic priest who has been behind bars for 57 days. He was subjected to administrative arrest four times, including under Article 24.23 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Republic of Belarus for holding an "unauthorized picket": posting the Ukrainian flag on his social media account.
As it became known to Christian Vision, Andrzej will be transferred from the temporary detention facility to the pre-trial detention center. This means that criminal prosecution has been initiated against the priest. It is still unknown what exactly he is accused of.
More than 15 political prisoners were amnestied and pardoned, among them Ryhor Kastusiou
Viasna human rights defenders have learned for sure about 18 political prisoners who were released on July 3. Among them are four women and 14 men, including Ryhor Kastusiou, a cancer patient who was sentenced to 10 years in a penal colony. According to Viasna, some of the political prisoners were pardoned, not amnestied.
Five Ukrainian political prisoners released on exchange
On the evening of June 28, there was sudden news about the release of five political prisoners from the Belarusian penal colonies. The Ukrainian authorities have secured the release of their citizens. Thus, Natallia Zakharanko, Pavlo Kupriyenko, Liudmila Hancharenka, Katsiaryna Brukhanava, as well as Mikalai Shvets, a defendant in the Mačuliščy case, were released.
The terms of the exchange are not disclosed. It is noted that the Vatican took part in their release. The released political prisoners were brought to Ukraine on June 28; their photos from Zhuliany airport appeared in the media. At least 10 more Ukrainian citizens remain behind bars in Belarus for "agent activities" and "espionage."
