In March, 62 people convicted in political criminal trials
In March, the Viasna Human Rights Center observed a continuing trend toward criminal prosecution and convictions of citizens for political reasons. According to the available data, 162 people were repressed during the past month. Activists have information about at least 62 citizens convicted in March in criminal trials, of which 18 are women and 44 are men.
Six people were convicted in absentia: five defendants in the Coordination Council case and one person in the case of Viasna. For the third month in a row, the trend of toughening sentences imposed by district courts by regional courts continues. Mahilioŭ and Viciebsk regional courts have changed the punishment of the defendants in the defamation cases considered at the end of 2022 from home confinement to imprisonment.
The Supreme Court decided to release Mikalai Autukhovich and Iryna Harachkina from the punishment imposed by Hrodna Regional Court on 17 October 2022 under part 1 of Article 295-3 and part 1 of Article 405 of the Criminal Code, respectively, because of the expiry of the statute of limitations.
March sentences in numbers:
- 36 people were sentenced to a total of 166 years and 5 months of imprisonment
- 24 people were sentenced to a total of 55 years and 6 months under home confinement
- 1 person was sentenced to 3 months of arrest (short-term imprisonment)
- 12 people were fined a total of 488,400 Belarusian rubles (approx. $195,000) as an additional punishment to imprisonment (11 convicts) and home confinement (1 convict)
- 1 person was banned from holding managerial and administrative positions for 5 years in addition to imprisonment
- 1 person was ordered coercive alcohol dependence treatment in addition to imprisonment and a fine
Based on the sentences known to human rights defenders, in March the courts applied custodial sentences in 58.1% of criminal convictions, home confinement in 38.7%, short-term imprisonment in 1.6%, and fines in 1.6%.
Thus, various types of custodial and freedom-restricting sentences were handed down in all but one of the politically motivated trials in March.
