Belarus: Judicial harassment of six human rights defenders

The Observatory has been informed about the judicial harassment against Enira Branitskaya, lawyer and human rights expert, having cooperated with Human Constanta[1], as well as of the arbitrary detention of Natallia Trenina, Tatsiana Hatsura-Yavorskaya, Yuliya Semenchanka and Hanna Sakalouskaya, and the arbitrary detention and subsequent release of Volha Shapakouskaya, five members of the Belarusian public association ‘Zvyano’ (“Chain” in English)[2], amid the ongoing crackdown on human rights defenders and organisations in Belarus.

On April 6, 2021, law enforcement officers searched the apartment of Enira Branitskaya and confiscated her digital equipment and money. Earlier, searches took place in her parents’ flat. On April 7, 2021, Ms. Branitskaya was summoned to the Investigative Committee of Belarus for interrogation. According to Ms. Branitskaya, these searches and interrogation would be part of a criminal case investigation on the activities of the International Committee for Investigation of Torture in Belarus, in which Enira Branitskaya is considered as a witness.

The Observatory recalls that Enira Branitskaya was the first woman recognised as a political prisoner in Belarus in 2006, when she was criminally charged for participating in an activity of an unregistered organisation (Article 193-1[3] of the Criminal Code of Belarus) and spent half a year in prison.

On April 5, 2021, Natallia Trenina, Tatsiana Hatsura-Yavorskaya, Yuliya Semenchanka, Hanna Sakalouskaya and Volha Shapakouskaya were arbitrarily detained in Minsk following their organisation of the “Machine breathes but I don’t” exhibition, which shed the light on the struggles of the medical personnel amid the COVID-19 crisis and the politicisation of healthcare in Belarus.

In addition, on the same day, Tatsiana Hatsura-Yavorskaya’s appartment, as well as ‘Zvyano’ office, were searched and technical equipment was confiscated by law enforcement officers.

On April 6, 2021, Tatsiana Hatsura-Yavorskaya was charged with “financing riots” (Part 3, Article 293 of the Criminal Code). On April 8, 2021 Tatsiana was sentenced to a fine of around 455 Euros, and her lawyer reported that she remains detained as a suspect in the criminal case. Natalia Trenina, Yulia Semenchanka and Hanna Sakalouskaya were sentenced to 7 days of detention. Volha Shapakouskaya was released following the payment of a fine of around 455 Euros. All were accused of “disobedience to lawful order or requirement of the public official” (Article 24.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences).

The Observatory strongly condemns the judicial harassment of Enira Branitskaya and Volha Shapakouskaya, as well as the arbitrary detention of Natallia Trenina, Tatsiana Hatsura-Yavorskaya, Yuliya Semenchanka and Anna Sakalouskaya which seem to be only aimed at punishing them for their legitimate human rights activities.

The Observatory further condemns the ongoing arbitrary detention and judicial harassment of other human rights defenders in the country, including ‘Viasna’ members Leanid Sudalenka, Tatsiana Lasista and Marfa Rabkova, as well as the legal counsellor at the Office for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Aleh Hrableuski. The director of the Office for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Siarhei Drazdouski remains under house arrest, while the lawyer of ‘Viasna’ HRC Dzmitry Salauyou is under a restriction order.

The Observatory urges the Belarusian authorities to put an end to any acts of harassment against human rights defenders, local human rights organisations, public associations and their members, and to immediately and unconditionally release the above-mentioned human rights defenders.