The statement on the recognition of four people as political prisoners

Joint statement by the Belarusian human rights community

October 17, 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:

We have received information about the following persons imprisoned for insulting A. Lukashenka, government officials (police officers), judges and insulting the state and state symbols, other forms of freedom of expression:

1. Yury Bandarenka convicted under Article 368 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka and an official; he was sentenced to one year and six month of imprisonment in a penal colony; 

2. Viachaslau Murnou convicted under Article 368 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka and an official; he was sentenced to two years of imprisonment in a penal colony;

3. Andrei Rabiakou convicted under Article 368 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka and an official; he was sentenced to two years of imprisonment in a penal colony;

4. Kiryl Vevel has been placed in custody on charges of calling for sanctions.

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 Yury Bandarenka, Viachaslau Murnou, Andrei Rabiakou, Kiryl Vevel, and stop criminal prosecution against them.

• 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, state symbols, and officials, namely Articles 188, 367, 368, 369, 369-1, 370, and 391 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus, and drop all ongoing criminal cases under these articles.

• Immediately release all political prisoners and stop political repression.

Human Rights Center "Viasna";

Office for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;

Legal initiative;

Lawtrend.