The statement on the recognition of 14 people as political prisoners

Joint statement by the Belarusian human rights community

December 29, 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:

We have received information about the following persons imprisoned for insulting A. Lukashenka, government officials (police officers), judges and insulting the state and state symbols, other forms of freedom of expression:

1. Uladzimir Huseu was convicted under Article 369 of the Criminal Code on charges of insulting a representative of the authorities and sentenced to two years of restriction of liberty with referral to an open-type correctional institution and sent to a correctional institution;

2. Aliaksandr Masevich was convicted under Articles 361, 367, 368, 361-4 of the Criminal Code on charges of calling for actions aimed at harming the national security of the Republic of Belarus (sanctions), defamation of A. Lukashenka and insulting him, promotion of extremist activities; he was sentenced to imprisonment in a penal colony;

3. Yury Alkhavik was placed in custody under Article 361 of the Criminal Code on charges of calling for actions aimed at harming the national security of the Republic of Belarus (sanctions);

4. Iryna Sankouskaya was sentenced under Articles 368, 369, 370 of the Criminal Code on charges of insulting A. Lukashenka and a representative of the authorities and mocking state symbols to one year and 6 months of imprisonment in a penal colony;

5. Uladzimir Lukyanchuk convicted under Article 368 of the Criminal Code on charges of insulting A. Lukashenka and sentenced to one year in a penal colony;

6. Maksim Kronda was convicted under Article 368 of the Criminal Code on charges of insulting A. Lukashenka is sentenced to imprisonment in a penal colony;

7. Andrei Aleshchyk was convicted under Articles 367, 368 of the Criminal Code on charges of defamation of A. Lukashenka and insulting him; he was sentenced to imprisonment in a penal colony;

8. Viktar Melekhau was convicted under Article 369 and Part 1 of Article 328 of the Criminal Code on charges of insulting a representative of the authorities and possession of a small amount of narcotic drugs for personal consumption; he was sentenced to two years and six months of imprisonment in a penal colony;

9. Pavel Pashukevich was convicted under Article 367 of the Criminal Code on charges of defamation of A. Lukashenka and sentenced to imprisonment in a penal colony;

10. Yury Shcharbak was convicted under Articles 367, 368 of the Criminal Code on charges of defamation of A. Lukashenka and insulting him to one year 6 months of imprisonment in a penal colony;

11. Pavel Niadzelin was sentenced under Articles 368, 369, 391 of the Criminal Code on charges of insulting A. Lukashenka, a representative of the authorities, and a judge to imprisonment in a penal colony;

12. Illia Kurapatkin was convicted under Article 368 of the Criminal Code on charges of insulting A. Lukashenka and sentenced to restriction of freedom with referral to an open-type correctional institution and sent to a correctional institution;

13. Dzmitryi Kazakou was convicted under Articles 368, 369 of the Criminal Code on charges of insulting A. Lukashenka and a representative of the authorities; he was sentenced to restriction of freedom with a referral to an open-type correctional institution and sent to a correctional institution;

14. Hanna Strazhevich was detained under Articles 368, 369 on charges of insulting A. Lukashenka and a police officer. 

We consider the persecution and imprisonment of these persons to be politically motivated, related to the peaceful exercise of expression, and they themselves to be political prisoners in accordance with paragraph 3.1 (a) A guide to the definition of the concept of "political prisoner”, and we demand from the authorities of Belarus:

• immediately release political prisoners Uladzimir Huseu, Aliaksandr Masevich, Yury Alkhavik, Iryna Sankouskaya, Uladzimir Lukyanchuk, Maksim Kronda, Andrei Aleshchyk, Viktar Melekhau, Pavel Pashukevich, Yury Shcharbak, Pavel Niadzelin, Illia Kurapatkin, Dzmitryi Kazakou, Hanna Strazhevich and stop criminal prosecution against them;

• take measures aimed at decriminalizing defamation offenses and repealing articles of the Criminal Code that provide for liability for insulting the State, state symbols and officials, namely, Articles 188, 189, 361, 367, 368, 369, 369-1, 370, and 391 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus, and to terminate all previously initiated under these articles criminal cases;

• immediately release all political prisoners and stop political repression.

Human Rights Center Viasna;

Legal initiative;

Lawtrend;

Belarusian Helsinki Committee;

Office for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;

Human Constanta; 

Barys Zvozskau Belarusian Human Rights House.