The pressure continues: what happened to political prisoners between July 16 and August 12
For more than four years law enforcement agencies in Belarus have been carrying out mass repressions. Almost every week the number of political prisoners in the country increases, and every day human rights activists receive information 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.
48 people were recognized as political prisoners over the past week. At the moment there are 1,385 people on the list of political prisoners. In addition, human rights activists learned that 42 political prisoners had served their sentences and were released, including Vadzim Yermashuk, Dzianis Pishchala, Ruslan Akostka, Mikalai Kazlou and Bahdan Karavets.
Human rights activists also learned about the sentences of eight political prisoners in politically motivated cases:
- Siarhei Dziatsuk - another year in penal colony;
- Siarhei Yafimau - another year in penal colony;
- Andrei Kudzik - four years in prison;
- Natallia Levaya - six years in penal colony;
- Pavel Belaholau was sentenced to three years and four months in penal colony;
- Ales Sabaleuski - four years in penal colony;
- Yauhen Hlushkou - three years in penal colony;
- Natallia Malets - three and a half years in penal colony.
Military analyst Yahor Lebiadok was placed in SHIZO for 10 days
Judge Alena Misnik sentenced the political prisoner to five years’ imprisonment in a medium-security penal colony under Part 1 and Part 2 of Article 361-4 of the Criminal Code (promotion of extremist activity).
According to the case materials, Lebiadok "in order to support the activities of a public destructive channel, the information products of which were recognized by the court as extremist materials, gave an interview to a representative of the channel on the topic of the special military operation of the Russian armed forces in Ukraine and the role of Belarus in it".
Yahor is serving his sentence in Ivacevičy penal colony. According to MAYDAY TEAM, the political prisoner recently served at least 10 days in a punishment cell (SHIZO).
Political prisoner Viachaslau Maleichuk is tried for the third time for "malicious disobedience to the colony administration"
On February 10, 2023, Viachaslau, who was earlier sentenced to 23 years in prison, was also found guilty under Article 411 of the Criminal Code. Judge Mikalai Siarheika added him a year in penal colony. After the verdict Maleichuk was sent to penal colony No. 9 in Horki. A few months later he was prosecuted for the second consecutive criminal case under Part 2 of Article 411 of the Criminal Code.
His next trial took place on August 23 last year. Viachaslau did not admit his guilt. Judge Alena Verabyova added two more years of imprisonment to 23 years of colony.
On August 7, the third trial over the political prisoner for "disobedience to the administration" started in Mozyr District Court. Judge Anatol Strelchanka is considering the case. He can add two more years of imprisonment.
Political prisoner Andrzej Poczobut is still in a punishment cell (PKT)
The Hrodna journalist has been behind bars for 40 months. On February 8, 2023, he was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment. Now he is serving his sentence in Navapolack colony No. 1, where he is constantly put under pressure.
During the action of solidarity with political prisoners in Bialystok, Marek Zaniewski, vice-chairman of the Union of Poles in Belarus, said that Poczobut was still kept in PKT:
"Unfortunately, there is no information about Andrzej. He continues to be in Navapolack, sitting in isolation and nothing is happening. All this information that has been playing for the last months, some people said that he was released, some people said that he was taken to the border.
Of course, none of this is true, it's all fake. We are very disappointed that such situations are happening. The situation with Andrzej remains very difficult and today we do not see it improving".
Political prisoner Viachaslau Sheliamet will be transferred to a prison security level
Viachaslau, 23, has been in custody for almost four years. He was arrested on August 20, 2020 for participating in a protest in Pinsk on the night of August 9-10.
On April 30, 2021, in a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 293 of the Criminal Code, the Maskouski District Court of Brest rendered a verdict against 14 Pinsk political prisoners accused of "participation in mass riots". Viachaslau was sentenced to five and a half years in a medium-security penal colony.
He was sent to Viciebsk penal colony No. 3 to serve his sentence. According to "Brestskaya Viasna", on July 31 in Viciebsk there was a trial on Viachaslau's transfer to a prison security level. The decision was made by Judge Mikhail Zubenia.
Political prisoner Yury Ziankovich is being tried in a new criminal case
Yury is a lawyer who was convicted in the "conspirators' case". He was charged under a number of criminal articles and sentenced to 11 years in a medium-security penal colony.
On December 27, 2022, the court considered a new case against Yury on "insulting a government official" (Article 369 of the Criminal Code). According to preliminary information, Ziankovich was given additional six months.
At first, Yury served his sentence in Babruisk colony No. 2, where he was put under pressure. The political prisoner spent eight days in the punishment cell and went on hunger strike. Later, his punishment was increased and he was transferred to Mahilioŭ prison.
On August 7, the political prisoner was tried in Leninski District Court of Mahilioŭ for "malicious disobedience to the prison administration" under Part 2 of Article 411 of the Criminal Code. The case is being considered by Judge Viktoryia Paliakova.
Anarchist political prisoner Mikalai Dziadok has been held in a punishment cell for almost two months
In June Mikalai and many other political prisoners of Hrodna Prison No. 1 were sent to a punishment cell (SHIZO). Mikalai is still there. Besides, the political prisoner has been kept in solitary confinement for more than a year.
Mikalai was detained on November 11, 2020, and he was severely beaten and tortured. He was sentenced to five years in prison. All the time in detention he is under pressure.
Ihar Alinevich was transferred from the hospital in Kaliadzičy back to Žodzina prison
This is reported by the Telegram channel "Right to Revolt". At the end of June, Ihar was placed in the hospital in Kaliadzičy. The reason was unknown.
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 criminal articles. As a result, Ihar was sentenced to 20 years in a high security prison.
Later he was transferred to Žodzina prison.
Activist Yauhen Afnahel was transferred to Mahilioŭ prison
The activist of "European Belarus", who was sentenced to seven years in prison, has been kept behind bars for three years and 10 months. In May, after two years in prison, the political prisoner was again transferred to Navapolack penal colony, where he had previously served his sentence.
Immediately upon his arrival at the institution the administration placed him in the SHIZO for 45 days, and then transferred him to a punishment cell (PKT). On July 29 , another trial was held in Navapolack to change Yauhen's prison security level. Judge Vital Lapko decided to transfer the political prisoner to prison until the end of his term. Yauhen was already transferred to Mahilioŭ.
Political prisoner Yauhen Kladou was not released after serving his first term and he will be tried again
The Baranavičy resident was arrested for 13 days in August 2023 and his phone was seized. But after that Yauhen was not released - in November 2023, a criminal trial was held. He was sentenced a year in jail for liking caricatures of Lukashenka on the internet.
Now it became known that a criminal case was opened against Kladou under new articles: "mass riots" (Article 293 of the Criminal Code), "incitement to hatred" (Article 130 of the Criminal Code) and "calls for actions aimed at harming the national security of the Republic of Belarus" (Article 361 of the Criminal Code). The resident of Baranavičy could face up to 12 years in penal colony, Yauhen was recently added to the list of "terrorists".
Political prisoner Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk was diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis
The political prisoner was supposed to be released on May 21 this year. But two days before her release she was transferred to Homieĺ Pre-trial detention center No. 3 as part of another criminal case under Article 411 of the Criminal Code (malicious disobedience to the demands of the administration of the penitentiary). Recently, Palina's relatives received an official response from the administration of the women's colony No. 24, stating that the woman was diagnosed with "chronic pancreatitis of medium severity". The husband of the political prisoner Andrei Sharenda told "Radio Svaboda" about it.
"We didn't know that she had pancreatitis, but there were reports that Palina had stomach aches and sudden weight loss. Once she lost so much weight that she weighed only 50 kilograms. However, all requests to the penal colony were officially answered that Palina was healthy and was allegedly receiving the necessary assistance.
Political prisoner Uladzimir Hundar was deprived of another short-term visit
Radio Racyja reported about it:
"He's already had some kind of offense that got him deprived of a short-term visit, which isn't due until September, but he's already been deprived. He himself doesn't know what for. They didn't even explain anything, they just said that he was deprived and that's all. And he doesn't even know for how long.
The defendant in the "Autukhovich case" was sentenced to a total of 20 years in prison for several criminal cases. Upon arrival at the colony, he was placed in a punitive isolation cell several times. In early October 2023, it became known that Hundar's punishment was increased and he was transferred to a prison security level.
In Baranavičy, a former political prisoner, who had been released under amnesty, is on trial for "participation in protests"
On August 12, the trial of three local residents under Part 1 of Article 342 of the Criminal Code started in Baranavičy District Court. Aliaksandr Tarasovich, Dzmitry Blashenitsa and Piotr Zinevich are accused of participation in the protests that took place four years ago. Their case is being considered by Aksana Litvinchyk.
Piotr Zinevich is a former political prisoner who was sentenced to two years of "khimiya" in 2021 for publishing a photo of a police officer with the inscription, which was considered as "slander".
On January 11, 2023, Piotr was released under the Amnesty Law. At the end of April 2024 Piotr was detained again together with several residents of Baranavičy. Now the man is kept in the pre-trial detention center.
Another former political prisoner from Baranavičy will be tried again
Vital Korshun is 37 years old. He was born in Baranavičy. He was tried for the first time in September 2021. A year before that, he left a comment about looking for the address of a riot police officer. According to the version of the riot policeman himself, Siarhei Balabanovich, after this post he was very scared, although Korshun quickly deleted it. As a result, the entrepreneur was sentenced to two months' imprisonment.
The next time Vital was detained in January 2024.
Korshun's trial will start on August 13 in Brest Regional Court. He is accused under five political articles: "slander against Lukashenka" (Part 2 of Article 367 of the Criminal Code), "participation in actions that grossly violate public order" (Part 1 of Article 342 of the Criminal Code), "organization of mass riots" (Part 1 of Article 293 of the Criminal Code), "calls for sanctions" (Part 3 of Article 361) and "incitement to hatred" (Part 1 of Article 130 of the Criminal Code). The political prisoner faces up to 12 years in penal colony. He will be tried by Sviatlana Kremenieuskaya.
Political prisoners are massively forced to write petitions for pardon
According to Viasna human rights activists, representatives of the Minsk Prosecutor's Office come to Navapolack penal colony No. 1 every day, forcing political prisoners to write petitions for pardon. But this applies only to those sentenced to short terms.
It is also known that in some penal colonies political prisoners are placed in punishment cells for refusing to write a petition, and some are threatened with a new criminal case under Article 411 of the Criminal Code (malicious disobedience to the requirements of the administration of the penitentiary institution).
In addition, human rights activists receive evidence that Yury Vaskrasenski has become active in recent weeks - he calls relatives of political prisoners and tells them about the conditions and circumstances of pardon, agitating for their relatives behind bars to write a petition to Lukashenka.
According to Viasna, on July 3, 18 political prisoners were released on amnesty or pardon. Among them there were four women and 14 men, including Ryhor Kastusiou, a cancer patient.
