Statement on the recognition of five people as political prisoners

Joint statement by the Belarusian human rights community

September 4, 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:

At the moment we know about the following persons imprisoned for having insulted Aliaksandr Lukashenka, government officials (police officers), judges and desecrated state symbols:

1. Apanas Afanasenkau, convicted under Article 368 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka; he was sentenced to imprisonment in a penal colony; 2. Uladzimir Dembitski, convicted under Article 368 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka; he was sentenced to imprisonment in a penal colony; 3. Yauhen Velesik, convicted under Article 368 of the Criminal Code for insulting A. Lukashenka; he was sentenced to imprisonment in a penal colony; 4. Yauhen Blinkou, convicted under Article 369 of the Criminal Code for insulting a government official; he was sentenced to two years' imprisonment in a penal colony; 5. Natallia Stsiopina, convicted under Article 367 of the Criminal Code for slandering A. Lukashenka; she was sentenced to two years' imprisonment in a penal colony.  

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:

1. Immediately release political prisoners Apanas Afanasenkau, Uladzimir Dembitski, Yauhen Velesik, Yauhen Blinkou, Natallia Stsiopina and stop criminal prosecution against them.

2. 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, state symbols, and officials, namely Articles 188, 367, 368, 369, 369-1, 370, and 391 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus, and drop all ongoing criminal cases under these articles.

3. Immediately release all political prisoners and stop political repression. 

Viasna Human Rights Center;

Barys Zvozskau Belarusian Human Rights House;

Belarusian PEN;

Legal Initiative.