What happened to political prisoners from December 5 to 13

For over three years, the security forces in Belarus have been relentlessly carrying out mass repressions. Each week, the number of political prisoners increases, and human rights defenders receive daily updates about detainees' terrible conditions, pressure from the prison administration, and the worsening health of political prisoners in custody. Viasna provides a weekly overview of the latest news on political prisoners.

33 people were recognized as political prisoners over the past week. At the moment, there are 1,473 people on the list of political prisoners. In addition, human rights activists learned that 10 political prisoners had served their sentences and were released: Henadz Smirnou, Mikhail Lapenas, Artur Panchanka, Dzmitryi Paulovich, Siarhei Aleinik, Andrei Siarheyenkau, Aleh Krychkouski, Dzmitryi Hryshchanka, Uladzimir Kazeka, Dzianis Lazouski.

Political prisoner has a progressing cancer. He is undergoing chemotherapy at the prison hospital 

Political prisoner Pavel Kuchynski, a Maladzečna resident, was assigned the first group of disabilities: he has stage four Hodgkin's lymphoma. Despite his cancer, he has been imprisoned for almost two years.

Instead of the colony, Pavel was sent to the republican hospital in Kaliadzičy, where the political prisoner is currently undergoing chemotherapy. But the treatment does not help, so the disease progresses. There was a consultation with doctors concerning bone marrow transplant, but this cannot be done in prison.

It is known that Pavel tried to send a petition for clemency to Lukashenka. The political prisoner was even transferred to a colony for a few days for this, but in the end, when he was transported to the hospital, the petition was returned to him.

Political prisoner Viktar Barushka to be transferred to a prison security level

Viktar is an entrepreneur who, after his detention, spent 12 days in the intensive care unit of an emergency hospital and during his trial said he was beaten. Barushka was accused of attacking a riot police officer and causing serious bodily harm to him (Paragraph 5 of Part 2 of Article 147 of the Criminal Code). Viktar did not admit his guilt. He was sentenced to five years in a medium security penal colony.

In the summer of 2021, Viktar was tried under Article 411 of the Criminal Code (malicious disobedience to the requirements of the administration of a correctional institution) on the territory of Mahilioŭ penal colony-15, where he was serving time back then. As a result, he was sentenced to two more years in prison.

It became known that on December 15, a trial will be held in Horki to replace the political prisoner's detention security level. According to the decision of judge Alena Varabyova, Viktar may be transferred to prison.

After a long break, the trial of political prisoner Yaraslau Sakovich resumed

Yaraslau was detained on August 5, 2022. Until 2021, he lived in Ukraine and married to a Ukrainian woman. Upon his return to Belarus, he was detained by KGB officers, who tortured him and forced out a confession that he had previously fought in Ukraine. Then he was released, but a year later he was detained as part of a criminal case.

On May 4, in Minsk, he was sentenced to two years in prison under two articles of the Criminal Code. But in August, a trial for "treason to the state" under Article 356 of the Criminal Code started against Yaraslau. Presumably, since September 11, the court was adjourned, but today the court sessions resumed.

A former political prisoner, who has fully served his sentence and was released, has been detained in a new criminal case 

Aliaksandr Zhuk is a defendant in the so-called "round dance case" concerning a protest action on September 13, 2020 in Brest. He was sentenced to one and a half years in an open-type correctional institution, which he fully served and was released on July 23, 2022.

According to Brest Viasna, today pro-government Telegram channels published a "penitential" video in which Aliaksandr "confesses" to participating in the protests on August 10, 2020. He allegedly "stood in the first row in a human chain along Savetskaja Street and shouted various protest slogans."

Political prisoners from Viasna team were included in the "list of extremists" 

On December 8, the Ministry of Internal Affairs made a traditional Friday update of the "list of citizens of Belarus, foreign citizens, or stateless persons involved in extremist activities."

Among others, Viasna Chairman and Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski, his deputy and FIDH Vice President Valiantsin Stefanovich, coordinator of the Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections campaign Uladzimir Labkovich, and human rights defender Dzmitryi Salauyou were added to the list.

In Mahilioŭ prison, political prisoner Uladzimir Hundar faced a rare problem for prisoners 

An informed source told Svaboda that the political prisoner with a disability was held in solitary confinement. According to the source, at the beginning of his term in Mahilioŭ prison, Hundar used crutches when he had walks, but then it became impossible.

"It turned out that the rubber tips of his crutches had worn off, and he had nothing to replace them with. Such a situation is not provided for. Uladzimir talked to his relatives, and they sent a package for him, but it is unknown whether it has reached him.

There have been no letters from Hundar for three weeks now, the only call was in November. The relatives only know that the package was registered and hope that he will eventually receive it. Otherwise walks are impossible for him," the source said.

Political prisoner blogger Pavel Vinahradau can be transferred to a prison security level

On December 6, the Court of the Vaŭkavysk District will hold a trial to replace the security level for a political prisoner. By the decision of the judge Mikalai Siarheika, Pavel can be transferred to prison security level.

Pavel was detained on December 22, 2021 in Berazino. The court sentenced him to 24 months in a general security penal colony. In they colony, Pavel was ill with tuberculosis.

It has recently become known that Vinahradau has been held in a solitary confinement cell (SHIZO) for the last six months.

Political prisoner Yana Pinchuk was transferred to a Homeĺ colony

Yana's trial began on April 10 in the Minsk City Court. The woman was transferred from Russia to Belarus in August 2022, despite the ban on extradition by the UN Human Rights Committee. She was charged under five articles of the Criminal Code, including "the creation or leadership of a terrorist organization." The case was considered behind closed doors for two months. On June 6, the court sentenced the political prisoner to 12 years in prison.

According to the investigation materials, "Pinchuk has been discrediting the official authorities on the Internet and calling for participation in mass protests for more than a year."

Recently, the KGB added the woman to the "list of terrorists". The political prisoner has already begun serving time in correctional colony No. 4.