Five political prisoners released after 72 hours of detention. Bialiatski, Stefanovich, and Labkoviches are transferred to pre-trial detention center

On July 17, human rights defenders who had been detained on 14 July under a criminal case were released from custody after 72 hours of detention.

In Polack, head of the Polack Free Trade Union chapter Mikalai Sharakh was released after 72 hours of detention. Mikalai was detained on 14 July. The activist's house was searched under a criminal case brought on 29 March 2021 under Article 341 of the Criminal Code (destruction of buildings and damage to property).

Political prisoner and human rights activist Yauheniya Babayeva, detained on July 14, was released after 72 hours of detention. She remains a suspect in the criminal case and has travel restrictions.

Also, the head of the Center "Supolnasc" Siarhei Matskievich was released after 72 hours of detention. He is under house arrest. Siarhei was detained on July 14 in a village. After two searches and interrogation, he was placed in an isolation ward in a temporary detention center. It is known that the searches took place under parts 1 and 2 of Article 342 (group acts grossly violating public order and financing thereof) and part 2 of Article 243 of the Criminal Code (tax evasion).

Viasna human rights defender and coordinator of the campaign "Human Rights Defenders Against the Death Penalty in Belarus" Andrei Paluda and Viasna human rights activist Alena Laptsionak were released. They were detained under a criminal case on July 14.

Human rights defender Valiantsin Stefanovich, Viasna lawyer Uladzimir Labkovich and his wife Nina Labkovich, as well as chairman of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" Ales Bialiatski were not released and were transferred to a pre-trial detention center.