The statement on the recognition of 7 people as political prisoners

Joint statement by the Belarusian human rights community

February 29, 2024

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. Viktoryia Kazakova was convicted under Articles 188, 367, 368 of the Criminal Code for defamation, defamation of A. Lukashenka and insulting him; she was sentenced to one year in a penal colony;

2. Dzmitry Paliakou was convicted under Article 369 of the Criminal Code for insulting a representative of the authorities; he was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months of imprisonment in a penal colony;

3. Valery Samsonenka was convicted under Article 370 of the Criminal Code for replacing the red-green flag with the Ukrainian one; he was sentenced to 1 year of imprisonment in a penal colony;

4. Uladzimir Lisitsa was convicted under Articles 368, 369 of the Criminal Code for insulting an official and A. Lukashenka; he was sentenced to 3 years in a penal colony;

5. Henadz Vasiliuk was convicted under Article 367 of the Criminal Code for defamation of A. Lukashenka and sentenced to imprisonment in a penal colony;

6. Yauhen Kladou was convicted under Article 368 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka and sentenced to one year in a penal colony.

7. Radzivon Kastinets was placed in custody under Articles 367, 368, 369, 391 of the Criminal Code for insulting an official, judge, A. Lukashenka and slander against him.

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 Viktoryia Kazakova, Dzmitry Paliakou, Valery Samsonenka, Uladzimir Lisitsa, Henadz Vasiliuk, Yauhen Kladou, Radzivon Kastsinets 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;

Barys Zvozskau Belarusian Human Rights House;

Legal Initiative;

PEN Belarus;

Human Constanta;

Lawtrend;

Belarusian Helsinki Committee.