The Belarusian Interior Ministry indicated that the decision to include the agency in the category of “extremist formations” was made on November 1, 2021, but journalists drew attention to this only on Friday, November 12. The first to recognize the BelaPAN agency as extremist reported Belarusian edition blizko.by.
Despite the fact that the KGB decision is dated November 1, the publication was added to the list much later: in the afternoon of November 8, it was not yet on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the newspaper noted.
Extremist media activities
“A group of citizens (of Belarus) from among the employees of the information agency ZAO BelaPAN carries out extremist activities,” according to the website of the Belarusian Ministry of Internal Affairs. Even the agency’s logo was recognized as extremist, which is “the inscription of BelaPAN with the image of a rider with a sword riding a red horse in the upper right corner.”
This is the second case when the decision to recognize it as an “extremist formation” is made by the KGB, not the Ministry of Internal Affairs. notes the publication “Mediazona Belarus”: for the first time, the KGB added the telegram channel “Rabochy Rukh” to the list of “extremists”. In addition, the Belsat TV channel was declared an “extremist formation” by the Belarusian Ministry of Internal Affairs. Several telegram channels, in particular, NEXTA and LUXTA, have also been declared “extremist formations”.
Searches of journalists
In July, a series of searches were carried out at the journalists’ homes, the closed Belarusian portal Tut.by was liquidated, and the legislation of Belarus was amended to restrict the work of media representatives.
On August 18 searches took place at the premises of the BelaPAN agency employees. The editor-in-chief of the agency, Irina Levshina, was detained after the search, and she is still in custody.
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Political prisoners in Belarus are prisoners of Lukashenka’s regime
Record for political prisoners in Belarus
Over 800 – such a record number of political prisoners in the history of the country is quoted by the human rights center “Viasna”. Among those who are unfairly imprisoned due to political persecution are presidential campaigners, volunteers of their headquarters, activists, businessmen, bloggers, journalists, IT specialists, workers, students and other protesters.
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Political prisoners in Belarus are prisoners of Lukashenka’s regime
Victor and Eduard Babariko
A presidential contender, ex-head of Belgazprombank Viktor Babariko could become Lukashenka’s strongest rival in the elections. He was detained together with his son Eduard, led his initiative group, which in June 2020 was charged with money laundering, bribery and tax evasion. On July 6, 2021, Viktor Babariko was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
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Political prisoners in Belarus are prisoners of Lukashenka’s regime
Maria Kolesnikova
Musician and art director Maria Kolesnikova headed the election headquarters of Viktor Babariko. Then she became one of the “three graces” who headed the Joint Opposition Headquarters. Member of the Presidium of the Coordination Council. She was kidnapped and brought to the border with Ukraine for expulsion from the country. But she tore up my passport and thwarted this operation. In September 2021, she was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
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Political prisoners in Belarus are prisoners of Lukashenka’s regime
To jail – for legal aid
Lawyer of Victor Babariko’s headquarters, member of the Presidium of the Coordination Council Maxim Znak (pictured) and lawyer of Maria Kolesnikova Ilya Salei were detained in September 2020 in the case of public calls to action to the detriment of national security. Ilya Salei was released on bail in April. Maxim became a defendant in a criminal case on the seizure of power. In September 2021, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
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Political prisoners in Belarus are prisoners of Lukashenka’s regime
Sergei Tikhanovsky
The author of the popular YouTube channel “Country for Life” Sergei Tikhanovsky wanted to run for the presidency of the Republic of Belarus, but before the start of the election campaign he was detained, after which his wife Svetlana put forward her candidacy. When he was released after an administrative arrest, he helped collect signatures for her, but in May 2020 he was arrested. In June 2021, the trial began behind closed doors.
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Political prisoners in Belarus are prisoners of Lukashenka’s regime
Country for Life activists
Within the framework of the “Country for Life” project, Tikhanovsky traveled to the regions of Belarus and gave an opportunity to local residents to tell about their problems. About 30 persons involved in the “Tikhanovsky case” have already been convicted. Together with Tikhanovsky in the dock – opposition politician Nikolai Statkevich, operator of “Country for Life” Artem Sakov, social media moderator Dmitry Popov, bloggers Vladimir Tsyganovich and Igor Losik.
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Political prisoners in Belarus are prisoners of Lukashenka’s regime
Igor Losik
The founder of the telegram channel “Belarus of the Brain” Igor Losik actively covered the events around the election campaign of the President of Belarus. Detained in June 2020. He was accused of organizing and preparing actions to the detriment of public order. Then – in “preparation for participation in mass riots.” He went on a hunger strike in protest for over 40 days.
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Political prisoners in Belarus are prisoners of Lukashenka’s regime
Bloggers behind bars
Other bloggers have already been sentenced. Sergei Petrukhin (pictured) and Alexander Kabanov (“People’s Reporter”) received 3 years in prison. Sergei Korshun and Sergei Yaroshevich (“Army with the People”) – 4.5 and 5.5 years old. Vladimir Neronsky (“Slutsk for Life”) – 3 years old, Dmitry Kozlov (“Gray Cat”) – 5 years old, Denis Gutin (“Drivers-97”) – 2.5 years old. Since June, the trial of Nikolai Dedok has been underway. Eduard Palchis remains on guard.
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Political prisoners in Belarus are prisoners of Lukashenka’s regime
Leaders of the “old” opposition
Pavel, co-founder of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party, was detained in June 2020 after pickets to collect signatures for nominating presidential candidates. Later he was given 7 years in prison. Mikalai Statkevich is another well-known opposition figure, presidential candidate in 2010. Detained in May on the way to the pre-election picket of Svetlana Tikhanovskaya and is still in custody.
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Political prisoners in Belarus are prisoners of Lukashenka’s regime
Human rights defenders targeted by the authorities
Human rights defenders were also persecuted by the Belarusian authorities. Employees of the Viasna human rights center are in custody, including its head Ales Bialiatski (pictured) and deputy Valentin Stefanovich. Well-known human rights activist Leonid Sudalenko is accused of financing activities that violate public order. He paid fines to people detained for participating in protests.
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Political prisoners in Belarus are prisoners of Lukashenka’s regime
Independent media staff
Media manager Andrei Alexandrov (pictured) was detained on suspicion of financing the protests. He paid the protesters’ fines. More than 20 media representatives are now in custody, including the Tut.by portal and the Nasha Niva publication. Employees of the “Press Club” spent 8 months in the pre-trial detention center. Since December 2020, ex-BT journalist Ksenia Lutskina, who is experiencing serious health problems, has been in custody.
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Political prisoners in Belarus are prisoners of Lukashenka’s regime
Katerina Borisevich
Journalists also fell victim to political repression. Katerina Borisevich (Tut.by portal) spent 6 months in prison. In her article, she wrote that there was no alcohol in the blood of Roman Bondarenko, who died after being beaten by Lukashenka’s supporters, contrary to the claims of the authorities. This information was given to her by the doctor of the emergency hospital Artem Sorokin, now also a political prisoner.
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Political prisoners in Belarus are prisoners of Lukashenka’s regime
Katerina Andreeva and Daria Chultsova
Journalists of the Polish TV channel “Belsat” Katerina Andreeva and Darya Chavtsova great stream during the brutal dispersal of the protesters by the security forces in the Minsk courtyard, known as the “Change Square” – and received two years in prison. They were accused of organizing and preparing actions that grossly violate public order.
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Political prisoners in Belarus are prisoners of Lukashenka’s regime
Student activists
Students were expelled or subjected to administrative arrests for protests. And 12 defendants in the “student case”, including Olga Filatchenkova, a traitor to BSUIR, and Alana Gebremariam, a medical university graduate (pictured), were accused of “active participation in group actions that grossly violate public order” and were imprisoned for a term of 2 to 2.5 years.
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Political prisoners in Belarus are prisoners of Lukashenka’s regime
Disproportionate response to protesters
Several dozen political prisoners are accused of participating in mass riots or violence against police officers. According to human rights activists, peaceful protests do not pose a threat to national or public security. Certain cases of violence against the police require special qualifications – in the context of self-defense against disproportionate actions of the security forces.
Author: Yanina Moroz