Statement on the recognition of 11 new political prisoners

Joint statement by the Belarusian human rights community

September 26, 2023

In response to the increasing number of convictions and imprisonment cases of citizens of the country under various defamation articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus, and in connection with the “desecration of state symbols of the Republic of Belarus” and other actions aimed at the legitimate exercise of freedom of expression, we, representatives of the Belarusian human rights community, demand an end to the persecution of legitimate forms of expression, once again reaffirm our repeatedly stated demands for the decriminalization of defamation and the inadmissibility of imprisonment of citizens for insulting officials, the state, state bodies, and symbols (joint statement from December 22, 2020), and note the following:

We have identified the following persons imprisoned for insulting Aliaksandr Lukashenka, government officials (police officers), judges, state symbols, and other manifestations of freedom of opinion:

1. Yauhen Shyshkou convicted of insulting A. Lukashenka is sentenced to two years of imprisonment in a correctional colony under Article 368 of the Criminal Code;  

2. Ihar Shkirau convicted of insulting A. Lukashenka is sentenced to two years of imprisonment in a correctional colony under Article 368 of the Criminal Code;  

3. Ruslan Hlushanok convicted of insulting state symbols under Article 370 of the Criminal Code is sentenced to up to 3 months of arrest;

4. Dzmitryi Siamak convicted of insulting a representative of the authorities under Article 369 of the Criminal Code is sentenced to up to 3 months of arrest;

5. Aliaksandr Nikanau is placed in custody for defamation of A. Lukashenka and insulting A. Lukashenka under Articles 367 and 368 of the Criminal Code;

6. Aliaksandr Yushkevich is placed in custody for transferring data to a Telegram channel;

7. Sniazhana Amosava is placed in custody for the slander of A. Lukashenka and insulting A. Lukashenka under Articles 367 and 368 of the Criminal Code;

8. Sviatlana Karol is placed in custody for the slander of A. Lukashenka according to Articles 367 of the Criminal Code;

9. Ihar Papou is sent by the court for compulsory psychiatric treatment to a hospital with strict supervision for insulting A. Lukashenka, a representative of the authorities, a threat of violence against an employee of the internal affairs bodies;

10. Andrei Matuzau is convicted under Article 369 for insulting a representative of the authorities and sentenced to up to 1 year 6 months restriction of freedom with referral to an open-type correctional institution; he was sent to a correctional institution;

11. Anzhela Sikorskaya is convicted under Article 391 (insulting a judge or a people's assessor), Article 369 (Insulting a government representative), Part 1 of Article 368 (insulting Lukashenka), Part 2 of Article 366 (violence or threat against an official performing official duties or another person performing a public duty) and sentenced to up to four years in prison.

We consider the persecution and deprivation of liberty of these persons to be politically motivated, connected with the peaceful exercise of expression of opinion, and they themselves to be political prisoners in accordance with paragraph 3.1 (a) Guidelines on the definition of the concept of "political prisoner”, and we demand from the authorities of Belarus:

Immediately release political prisoners Andrei Matuzau, Aliaksandr Nikanau, Aliaksandr Yushkevich, Sniazhana Amosava, Yauhen Shyshkou, Ihar Papou, Ruslan Hlushanok, Dzmitryi Semak, Sviatlana Karol, Ihar Shkirau, Anzhela Sikorskaya and stop criminal prosecution against them.

1. To adopt measures aimed at the decriminalization of defamation offenses and repeal the articles of the Criminal Code that provide liability for insulting the state and state symbols, namely Articles 188, 189, 361, 367, 368, 369, 369-1, 370, and 391 of the Criminal Code, and drop all ongoing criminal cases under these articles.

2. Immediately release all political prisoners and stop political repression.

Human Rights Center Viasna

Lawtrend

PEN Belarus

Barys Zvozskau Belarusian Human Rights House

Belarusian Helsinki Committee.