Stefan Lazavik was detained by police on September 16, 2020 on suspicion of spray-painting on August 12 protest graffiti reading “He lost and started killing. B…..d, resign!” on a bus stop shelter in Horki. A criminal case was initially opened by the Horki District Prosecutor’s Office under Art. 341 of the Criminal Code. Under pressure from investigators, Lazavik admitted involvement in the vandalism, but when on October 29 he refused to record a video confession, the prosecutor reclassified the charge under Part 1 of Art. 339 of the Criminal Code (hooliganism). On November 26, the Horki District Court sentenced Stefan Lazavik to 1 year in a general-security penal colony. Stefan Lazavik was an observer during the 2020 presidential election and took an active part in the post-election protests.
On December 7, 2020, in the village of Chaciežyna, Minsk district, police detained Viktar Losik, who was accused of hanging on a local bridge effigies of the Minister of Internal Affairs and chairperson of the precinct election commission. The effigies had signs reading “Never Forget! Never Forgive!”. Losik was also accused of spray-painting the Belarusian national coat-of-arms Pahonia on the bridge and on several local buildings. He was charged under Part 1 of Art. 339 (hooliganism) and Art. 341 of the Criminal Code (desecration of buildings and damage to property) and remanded in the pre-trial detention center in Žodzina. // 05.02.2021
We assess the persecution of Hanna Vishniak and Siarhei Palonis and the sentencing of Yauhen Hovar and Aliaksandr Babrou as politically motivated, as it is related solely to their exercise of freedom of peaceful assembly and expression and recognize them as political prisoners. // 04.02.2021
To stop pressure on the Office for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and other civil society organisations, to stop ungrounded and excessive inspections and other forms of control on organisations’ activities and to stop using force during inspections.
To stop all attempts to criminally prosecute Belarusian human rights defenders and civil society activists in connection with their legitimate activities to provide charitable and other aid to victims of human rights violations, including immediate release of Andrei Aliaksandarau, Leanid Sudalenka, Yulia Slutskaya and other CSO activists.
To stop practice of intimidation and harassment of citizens in connection with the receipt, distribution and use of charitable aid, both from sources inside Belarus and abroad, as well as to eliminate excessive regulatory restrictions in this area.
Immediately release all political prisoners, as well as citizens detained in connection with the exercise of freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression in the post-election period and end political repression against the country's citizens. // 02.02.2021
It should be noted that Maksim Viniarski is a principled and long-standing opponent of the current political regime.
For his exclusively peaceful political activity, Viniarski has been repeatedly repressed by the authorities, including through fines, short terms in prison, beatings and intimidation.
We assess the persecution of Maksim Viniarski as politically motivated, as it is related solely to his exercise of freedom of peaceful assembly and expression, and also to his opposition beliefs, and recognize him as a political prisoner. // 01.02.2021
Human rights work is a legitimate public activity, and harassment for such activities is an absolutely unacceptable and gross violation of human rights by the authorities.
Based on this, we consider the persecution of Tatsiana Lasitsa to be politically motivated, as it is only aimed at stopping her public and non-violent activities seeking the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Tatsiana Lasitsa is therefore a political prisoner, according to paragraph 3.1 (b) of the Guidelines on the Definition of Political Prisoners. // 01.02.2021
