Human rights activists have declared 12 more people political prisoners. Lawyers consider the people accused and arrested under the article “inciting of social hatred” to be politically persecuted, writes the human rights center Viasna.
Human rights activists recognize Uladzislau Buryn, Dzyanis Syrets, Alyaksandr Zhmuro, Larysa Tankashkur, Maksim Skalkin, Yury Samusevich, Alyaksaei Haloukin, Aleh Zubrytski, Alyaksei Melnikau, Andrei Kareshnikau, Ihar Pyzhyanau, and Ivan Vyarbitski as political prisoners.
Human rights activists say that the convicts’ rights to a fair trial were violated, the evidence of guilt was falsified. In this regard, they demand that all political prisoners are immediately released, and the political repression against citizens be stopped.
At present, there are 546 persons recognized as political prisoners in Belarus.
