The list of political prisoners in Belarus gets longer day by day. On 13 July, human rights activists recognized seven more people as political prisoners.
Among them are those convicted in criminal cases for libel and slander, as well as for insulting state symbols:
Vyachaslau Karatkevich – convicted under Article 367 of the Criminal Code for slander against the president to a year and a half in jail;
Alyaksandr Bychkouski – convicted under Article 369 of the Criminal Code for insulting a government official to a year and a half of restricted freedom in an open institution. He was sent to serve his sentence;
Pavel Semakovich – convicted under Article 339 part 1 of the Criminal Code for burning the state flag for three years of restricted freedom with referral to an open institution. He was sent to serve his sentence;
Yauhen Karalchuk – convicted under Article 370 of the Criminal Code for insulting state symbols to one year of imprisonment with referral to an open-type institution. He was sent to serve his sentence;
Yauhen Pashalyuk – convicted under Article 391 of the Criminal Code for insulting a judge to two years of restricted freedom with referral to an open institution. He was sent to serve his sentence;
Ihar Faletsky – convicted under Article 368 of the Criminal Code for insulting the president and under Article 369 of the Criminal Code for insulting a government official to a year in a penal colony;
Mikhail Hulidau – convicted under Article 368 of the Criminal Code for insulting the president, under Article 369 of the Criminal Code for insulting a representative of power, and under Article 409 of the Criminal Code for illegal actions against property subject to seizure or arrest. He was sentenced to one year of imprisonment.
Thus, there are currently 555 political prisoners in Belarus.
