The statement on the recognition of 14 people as political prisoners

Joint statement by the Belarusian human rights community

April 12, 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. Siarhei Yakubionak under Article 367 and 368 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka and slandering him; he was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months of imprisonment in a penal colony;

2. Ihar Novik under Article 368 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka; he was sentenced to 3 years in a penal colony;

3. Siarhei Sots under Articles 368, 391 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka, an official, and a judge; he was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months of imprisonment in a penal colony;

4. Pavel Lipnevich under Articles 367, 368, 369 of the Criminal Code for insulting an official, A. Lukashenka and slandering him;

5. Yauhen Khamiankou under Article 368 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka; he was sentenced to imprisonment in a penal colony;

6. Pavel Kazintsau is being held in a pre-trial detention centre for comments on social media left in 2022;

7. Siarhei Ilin under Article 368 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka; he was sentenced to imprisonment in a penal colony;

8. Siarhei Zeliankou under Articles 369, 342 of the Criminal Code for insulting an official, participating in peaceful protests: he was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months of restriction of freedom in an open-type correctional institution and sent to serve his sentence;

9. Aliaksandr Barodzich is being held in a pre-trial detention centre under Articles 368 and 370 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka and for mocking the state symbols;

10. Illia Shamilau under Article 367 of the Criminal Code for defamation of A. Lukashenka; he was sentenced to 2 years in a penal colony;

11. Artsiom Kolasau under Articles 367, 368, and 369 of the Criminal Code for defamation and insult of A. Lukashenka, insulting a representative of the government;

12. Ihar Ivanou under Articles 367 and 368 of the Criminal Code for defamation and insult of A. Lukashenka; he was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months of imprisonment in a penal colony;

13. Ihar Zhuk under Article 368 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka; he was sentenced to 2 years of restriction of freedom with referral to an open-type correctional institution and sent to a correctional institution;

14. Natallia Ramashova under Article 368 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka; she was sentenced to restriction of freedom with referral to an open-type correctional institution and sent to a correctional institution;

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 Siarhei Yakubionak, Ihar Novik, Siarhei Sots, Pavel Lipnevich, Yauhen Khamiankou, Pavel Kazintsau, Siarhei Ilin, Siarhei Zeliankou, Aliaksandr Barodzich, Illia Shamilau, Artsiom Kolasau, Ihar Ivanou, Ihar Zhuk, Natallia Ramashova 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;

Belarusian Helsinki Committee;

PEN Belarus;

Barys Zvozskau Belarusian Human Rights House;

Belarusian Association of Journalists.