News on the topic: criminal prosecution
01.09.2020 KGB tortures political prisoners held on rioting charges
Aliaksandr Frantskevich, an anarchist facing “rioting” charges, was tortured after his arrest by the KGB on August 13, according to his former cellmate.
01.09.2020 Political prisoner Pavel Seviarynets faces formal charges
Pavel Seviarynets, co-founder of the Belarusian Christian Democracy party who has been in detention since June 7, has been officially charged under Part 2, Art. 293 of the Criminal Code (mass riots), according to his wife Volha. The period of his pre-trial detention has been extended by two more months.
31.08.2020 Amnesty International: Police must be held accountable for violence
Amnesty International calls on the Belarusian authorities to immediately end police violence and to investigate the gross human rights violations committed during the last three weeks, as peaceful protests against police brutality and the rule of President Alyaksandr Lukashenka grow.
31.08.2020 Financial police arrest another member of opposition coordination council
Liliya Ulasava, a famous mediator and a member of the presidium of the Coordination Council, has been arrested by officers of the Department for Financial Investigations, according to a Council member Maksim Znak.
28.08.2020 Nine more persons facing rioting charges called political prisoners
Human rights defenders demand an immediate release of political prisoners arrested in the framework of the “mass riots” criminal case - Joint statement of human rights organizations of Belarus
25.08.2020 Police go back to arrests of peaceful protesters, strikers and opposition figures
Thirty-nine protesters faced administrative charges following yesterday’s protests in a number of Belarusian cities, the Interior Ministry’s spokesperson said. Three criminal cases were opened to investigate alleged violence against police officers, it said.
21.08.2020 Over 60 protesters facing criminal charges across Belarus
The Human Rights Center “Viasna” knows the names of over sixty persons arrested in various cities of Belarus on criminal charges following the post-election protests.
21.08.2020 After 75 days in prison, opposition activist Pavel Seviarynets suspected of plotting riots
Pavel Seviarynets, political prisoner and co-chairman of the Belarusian Christian Democracy party, will not be released after serving 75 days of administrative detention, according to his mother Tatsiana.
21.08.2020 Amnesty International: Criminal case against opposition is a shocking violation of freedom of expression
This development has once again proved that there is no space in Belarus for any opinion that questions or criticizes President Lukashenka’s government. It has extinguished any remaining illusions that the authorities are interested in respecting human rights and the rule of law.
20.08.2020 Members of opposition coordination council facing “power grab” charges
The authorities have opened a criminal investigation into alleged attempts to seize power targeting members of the Coordination Council, a body formed at the initiative of ousted presidential candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
19.08.2020 HRDs call to release political prisoners held on rioting charges
Joint statement of the Belarusian human rights organizations
18.08.2020 KGB arrests another member of Babaryka’s campaign team
Siarhei Mikheyonak, a member of Viktar Babaryka’s campaign team, was arrested by the KGB on August 12, nn.by said. The 48-year-old activist collected signatures in support of the presidential nominee and was also registered as an election observer.
08.08.2020 Charges against arrested strategist Vitaly Shklyarov politically motivated, HRDs say
The human rights community of Belarus considers Vitaly Shklyarov, political scientist arrested in Siarhei Tsikhanouski’s case, to be political prisoner, following reports of the authorities formally charging the Belarusian-born US expert under Part 1, Art. 342 of the Criminal Code (organization or active participation in group actions that grossly violate public order).
06.08.2020 Siarhei Korshun is new political prisoner
Siarhei Korshun, a blogger working with a Telegram channel called “Armiya S Narodom” (“Army with the People”), is facing charges of preparing for and participating in group actions that gravely breach public order (Part 1 and 2, Art. 342 of the Criminal Code).
31.07.2020 Amnesty International condemns new charges against Siarhei Tsikhanouski
As the presidential election on 9 August approaches in Belarus, the authorities are stepping up their crackdown on all dissent without pause. On 30 July, they announced a new criminal investigation against prominent video blogger and opposition politician Siarhei Tsikhanouski.
