The website of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” has published a statement about recognizing four more people as political prisoners.
The organization considers prosecution of the imprisoned Hanna Vishniak (part 1 of Article 342 of the Criminal Code “Group Actions Gravely Breaking Public Order”), Syarhei Palonis (part 2 of Article 293 of the Criminal Code “Mass Riots”) and BSW employees Yauhen Hovar and Alyaksandr Babrou (part 1 of Article 342 of the Criminal Code) as politically motivated.
Thus, the number of Belarusian political prisoners has increased to 224 people. However, human rights activists emphasize that this figure doesn’t reflect the reality. Ales Byaliatski, head of Viasna, claims that the Investigative Committee has brought about 2,000 criminal cases “related to participation of people in mass actions, activism or other things”.
