Activists from Byarezauka Andrei Ashurak and Syarhei Pantus, brother and friend of Vitold Ashurak who died in prison, have been forced to flee Belarus. They received information that may be put in jail.
Commentary by Andrei Ashurak starts at minute 14:
On 16 December, Andrei Ashurak said to Belsat that he was safe. He and all the others who were at the announcement of Vitold Ashurak’s verdict, where people shouted “shame,” were threatened with persecution.
“As far as we have been informed, the conditions have been tightened and everyone who was a witness would be prosecuted,” he said. “The goal was clear: to jail me and those who were witnesses with me in the past case.”
He links it to the intensified repressions before the referendum scheduled for February 2022.
The examination of Vitold’s death, however, is promised to be completed. Andrey received only a “note” from the prosecutor’s office, which said that his appeal had been forwarded to the General Prosecutor’s Office. When I had a chance to get in touch with the investigator, he also said nothing. He said that the examination was underway.
For now, Andrey Ashurak has no major plans. He still has to serve his quarantine in connection with the coronavirus pandemic.
On January 18, 2021 judge Maksim Filatau announced the sentence for the activist from Byarozauka. Vitold Ashurak got 5 years in jail. The attendees were indignant and began chanting “Shame!” Later several people were prosecuted for that as participants of illegal picketing (at that time it was Article 23.34 of the Administrative Code, now it is 24.23).
Last year Vitold Ashurak, an activist from Byarozauka, was detained on 19 September at the bus station in Lida, when he was returning from a protest. The trial was held behind closed doors. Ashurak was sentenced to 5 years in jail on charges of rioting and violence against a police officer. In early May, he was transported from Hrodna to the Shklou colony #17, where he died under unclear circumstances on May 21.
