Statement of the human rights community on the recognition of 15 new political prisoners

Joint statement by the Belarusian human rights community

October 27, 2023

The Belarusian human rights community notes an increase in the number of convictions and imprisonments under several defamation and desecration of state symbols articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus, and for other actions aimed at the lawful exercise of the freedom of expression.

We demand to put an end to the persecution of legitimate expression of views and, reaffirming our repeated calls to decriminalize defamation and to refrain from imposing custodial sentences for insulting officials, the state, government agencies, and symbols (as mentioned in the Joint statement of December 22, 2020), note the following:

At the moment we know about the following persons imprisoned for having insulted Aliaksandr Lukashenka, police officers, judges, desecrated state and state symbols, and exercised their freedom of opinion in other forms:

Volha Stabrouskaya was sentenced to one year and 6 months of imprisonment in a penal colony under Part 1 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka;

Ala Zuyeva was sentenced to two years 6 months of imprisonment in a penal colony under Part 1 of Article 368 and Article 369 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka and an official;

Aksana Liaushova was placed in custody for insulting A. Lukashenka under Article 368 of the Criminal Code;

Aliaksandr Karaliou was sentenced to one year 6 months of imprisonment in a penal colony under Part 1 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka;

Dzmitryi Liaukovich was sentenced to one year 6 months of imprisonment in a penal colony under Part 1 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka;

Aliaksei Yarashevich was sentenced to two years of restriction of freedom with referral to an open-type correctional institution and sent to a correctional institution under Article 369 of the Criminal Code for insulting a representative of the authorities;

Siarhei Shymko was sentenced to one year of imprisonment in a penal colony under Part 1 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka;

Aliaksandr Douhal was sentenced to one year 6 months of imprisonment in a penal colony under Part 1 of Article 368 and Article 369 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka and an official;

Artsiom Lapikau was sentenced to three years of imprisonment in a penal colony under Article 367 of the Criminal Code for defamation of A. Lukashenka;

Alena Mikhaliuk was sentenced to one year of imprisonment in a penal colony under Part 1 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka;

Aliaksei Tsypileu was sentenced to two years of imprisonment in a penal colony under Article 368 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka;

Pavel Karalevich was sentenced to one year 6 months of imprisonment in a penal colony under Part 1 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka;

Dzmitryi Iliukovich was sentenced to one year 6 months of imprisonment in a penal colony under Articles 368 and 369 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka and an official;

Aliaksandr Lahuta was sentenced to two years and 6 months of restriction of freedom with referral to an open-type correctional institution and sent to a correctional institution under Article 367 of the Criminal Code for defamation of A. Lukashenka;

Raman Makhankou was sentenced to imprisonment in a penal colony under Part 1 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka.

We consider the persecution and imprisonment of the named individuals to be politically motivated, related to the peaceful exercise of expressing thoughts, and consider them political prisoners in accordance with paragraph 3.1(a) of the Guidelines on the Definition of Political Prisoners. We demand from the Belarusian authorities:

Immediately release political prisoners Volha Stabrouskaya, Ala Zuyeva, Aksana Liaushova, Aliaksandr Karaliou, Dzmitryi Liaukovich, Aliaksei Yarashevich, Siarhei Shymko, Aliaksandr Douhal, Artsiom Lapikau, Alena Mikhaliuk, Aliaksei Tsypiliou, Pavel Karalevich, Dzmitryi Iliukovich, Aliaksandr Lahuta, Raman Makhankou 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";

Barys Zvozskau Belarusian Human Rights House;

Legal initiative;

Lawtrend;

PEN Belarus;

Belarusian Association of Journalists;

Belarusian Helsinki Committee;

Human Constanta.