Propagandists briefly showed a paper with the names of previously released political prisoners. Who are the people on this list?
From a one-second frame on ONT, "Nashaniva" managed to identify the names of eight political prisoners whose release had not been known to the public until now. We tell you who these people are — from a doctor in Lida to a railway worker from Baranovichi.
Propagandists claim that 196 political prisoners from the "Viasna" list have already been released. There is no full list of names, but from the paper shown on ONT by Ihar Tur, about a dozen and a half people can be identified. Human rights activists knew about the release of some of them earlier, but the public was unaware that eight political prisoners had already been home for a long time after serving their sentences.
Here are these people:
Alena Rybak
Alena Rybak was detained in late October 2024. She was charged under Part 3 of Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code (creating or participating in an extremist formation).
Presumably, the case is related to "yard chats": in autumn 2024, a wave of detentions of participants in neighborhood chats swept across Belarus, who, according to the investigation, allegedly tried to unite into an organization, and the KGB recognized a number of such chats as "extremist formations."
Uladzislau Fiedarovich
Uladzislau Fiedarovich was detained in December 2023. In a "repentance video" published by a pro-government Telegram channel, he states that he participated in rallies and did not delete photos on social networks. He was held in custody under Article 342 of the Criminal Code (organization or active participation in actions that grossly violate public order). His trial took place on January 30, 2024.
Vadzim Sakavets
Vadzim Sakavets was detained on January 19, 2023. The Minsk City Court sentenced him under Part 1 of Article 130 of the Criminal Code (inciting enmity) to 1 year and 6 months in a penal colony.
Tatsiana Trafimchyk
Tatsiana Trafimchyk was immediately convicted under four articles: Article 130 (inciting enmity), Part 2 of Article 366 (violence or threat against an official), Part 2 of Article 367 (slander against Lukashenka), and Article 368 (insulting Lukashenka). She was included in the list of "terrorists" and sent to a penal colony in Gomel.
Valiantsin Samasiuk
Valiantsin Samasiuk is a resident of Baranovichi, who worked on the railway. He was detained on March 31, 2022. According to the charges, from March 15 to March 22, 2022, he sent several photos of railway equipment with comments to a Telegram chat. The chat was recognized as an "extremist formation," and Samasiuk's actions were qualified as facilitating extremist activities (Article 361-4 of the Criminal Code).
Andrei Krasnik
Andrei Krasnik is an emergency room therapist at Lida City Hospital. He was detained on July 20, 2022, for comments and likes on social networks left back in 2020, but he was ultimately charged under four articles: Part 2 of Article 366 (violence or threat against an official), Part 1 of Article 342 (active participation in actions that grossly violate public order), Part 1 of Article 368 (insulting Lukashenka), and Article 369 (insulting a representative of authority).
Krasnik was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in a penal colony, which he served in a colony near Vitebsk.
Aliaksandr Syrytsa
On March 1, 2022, the court of Baranovichi District and Baranovichi City sent Aliaksandr Syrytsa for compulsory treatment in a psychiatric hospital with ordinary observation — under Article 369 of the Criminal Code (insulting a representative of authority). On April 29, 2024, a court hearing "on changing compulsory security and treatment measures" took place, after which Syrytsa, according to "Viasna," was sent to penal colony No. 1. The exact sentence and release date are unknown.
Siarhei Safronau
Siarhei Safronau was sentenced in April 2023 in Zhodzina under Part 1 of Article 368 (insulting Lukashenka) and Article 369 (insulting a representative of authority) of the Criminal Code.