December: significant increase in cases of politically motivated criminal prosecution
During the last month of 2024, the judicial system tended to work intensively to sentence citizens who had been subjected to politically motivated criminal repression. Viasna human rights defenders note that in December, according to preliminary data, at least 188 people were persecuted, 141 of whom were men and 47 were women. Seven more people were convicted as part of special proceedings, i.e. tried in absentia.
Minsk had the biggest number of cases in December
Politically motivated criminal prosecution in December by regions looks as follows:
- Minsk — 101 people;
- Brest region — 41 people;
- Homieĺ region — 12 people;
- Hrodna region — 5 people;
- Minsk region — 13 people;
- Mahilioŭ region — 8 people;
- Viciebsk region — 8 people.
The tendency to sentence families persists
Politically motivated criminal prosecution most often involves entire families or relatives, mainly prosecuted under Article 342 of the Criminal Code. The case against Stsiapan and Alina Mankevich was heard in the Savetski District Court of Minsk with an interval of three weeks. The Zavadskoj District Court of Minsk heard the case against Andrei and Volha Piatsiukevich. The Peršamajski District Court of Minsk handled the case against Siarhei and Alena Sekryiaravy.
The case against Vadzim and Aleh Khilchuk was heard in the Baranavičy District Court as part of a large group case on the events of 2020. The Leninski District Court of Brest heard the case against Yakau and Pavel Dzianeikau as part of the same group case. The case against Ivan and Katsiaryna Byvaltsavy was heard in the Dziarzhynsk District Court.
Repeated and subsequent convictions
Repeated and subsequent convictions are applied against those convicted for political reasons. Yury Bialkevich was convicted under Article 342 in January 2024 in the Maskoŭski District Court of Minsk. In December, he was prosecuted by the Partyzanski District Court of Minsk under a criminal article stipulating responsibility for insulting Lukashenka.
Dzmitry Kniazeu, a defendant in the Brest riots case, who was convicted in June 2021, was repeatedly prosecuted under Article 342 of the Criminal Code by the Savetski District Court of Minsk in December. Dzmitry Andrasiuk, another person involved in the Brest riots case, has faced repeated criminal prosecution. Having been convicted in September 2021 by the Leninski District Court of Brest, he was again prosecuted under Article 342 by the same court in December.
Siarhei Yazepchuk, convicted under the article on insulting a judge in October 2021 by the Petrykaŭ District Court, was prosecuted under the same article in December.
Article 411 of the Criminal Code is a tool for continuing repression
Victims of political repression are subjected to arbitrary extensions of imprisonment through the use of tools provided for in Article 411 of the Criminal Code. The Škloŭ District Court added 8 months of imprisonment to the term of journalist Ihar Karnei.
The Barysaŭ District Court heard cases under Article 411 against Viktar Yaromenka and Yelisei Kuzniatsou. The Žodzina City Court heard the case under this article against Aliaksei Melnikau.
November: record number of families prosecuted
