On 1 November anarchist Sergey Romanov was sentenced to 1 year of penal colony for ‘defying the measures of preventive surveillance’. More details: https://abc-belarus.org/?p=14417&lang=en
It was a separate trial; Sergey is simultaneously a defendant in another trial described below.
On 2 November Revolutionary Action, and on 12 November Pramen were officially recognised by Belarusian authorities as ‘extremist formations’. Both are Belarusian anarchist groups.
On 1 November it became known that Igor Bancer was put into a punishment isolation cell. At the moment of transfer Igor had high temperature, and a prison physician prescribed him to stay in bed. In Belarus, punishment with an isolation cell usually includes torture by low temperature, especially terrible if a person in question is ill.
Igor was released after 20 days of isolation. He reported that he had been punished twice. First time (10 days of isolation) for refusal to go into a cell where a person with low prison status was held. Second time (10 more days) for lying on his bed during daytime (while being ill).
On 24 November Igor was in the court once again. Like previous time, administration of an open prison where he is held, attempted to transfer him to a penal colony (closed prison). The court denied the transfer, Igor continues to stay in an open prison. According to unproven information, his term ends on 17 December.
On 3 November anarchist Artyom Markin was denied entry into Ukraine after his plane landed in one of Ukrainian airports. He had to fly back to the country were he came from. Later it turned out that Artyom was banned from Ukraine according to the decision of SBU (secret service). The decision was taken in November 2020; reasons for the ban on entry – “ensuring of national security and/or struggle with organised crime.”
Mikita Yemelyanau had spent in the isolation cell 30 days, from 11 October to 10 November. He maintained hunger strike for 20 days. On 27 October he was allowed to write an application for a visit of priest, and on 3 November he was visited by a priest. Mikita started the hunger strike, because meeting with a priest had been denied to him since summer.
On 10 November anarchist Mikola Dziadok was sentenced to 5 years in prison. More details: https://abc-belarus.org/?p=14467&lang=en
In the end of November, Mikola was transferred to Mahiliou prison. His current address:
Dedok Nikolay Aleksandrovich
Prison No. 4. 212011, Mahiliou, vulica Krupskaj 99A
Belarus
In mid-November it became known that antifascists Denis Boltuts’ and Timur Pipiya are deprived of parcels for 4 months. The ban took effect immediately after their arrival to penal colony.
On 15 November a trial of anarcha-partisans started in Minsk region court (judge V. Tulejka). Defendants are: Sergey Romanov, Dzmitry Dubovski, Ihar Alinevich and Dzmitry Rezanovich. Charges include art. 289.2 (terrorism) and art. 295.3 (illegal possession of firearms). ‘Terrorism’ in this case means property destruction: burning of police cars and setting police buildings on fire (no injuries involved, as all buildings and cars were empty).
As it was expected, the trial was declared closed to public by a judge, allegedly in order to defend interests of ‘victims’ (cops whose cars were burnt down).
Later three of defendants refused to participate in this mockery of justice, only Dzmitry Dubovski remained in the courtroom. Romanov’s mother reports that after her son had been detained in 2020 he was beaten and teargas was used against him. To stop tortures, Sergey had to resort to self-inflicted harm (previously, these details were not publicly known).
On 26 November all four were transferred from KGB (secret service) jail to jail nr. 1 (both in Minsk).
Their new address:
Alinevich Ihar Uladzimiravich
Dubovski Dzmitry Nikolaevich
Romanov Sergey Alexandrovich
Rezanovich Dzmitry Grigorevich
SIZO-1, vul. Valadarskaha 2, Minsk 220030, Belarus
On 18 November a search was performed at the place of Jauhien Zhurauski’s mother in Baranavičy. Zhurauski is abroad for more than a year. A criminal case was opened against him after his participation in a picket in remembrance of Andrei Zeltser (on Zeltser, see September report: https://abc-belarus.org/?p=14375&lang=en), held next to the embassy of Belarus in Warsaw.
Analogous criminal case was open against Roman Khalilov who participated in the same action in Warsaw (Khalilov had been already a suspect in other cases, e.g. the one of ‘international criminal anarchist organisation’). On 26 November, place of Khalilov’s mother, Gayane Akhtiyan, was searched in Polack. Gayane Akhtiyan was detained and initially arrested for 10 days for ‘insubordination to police’. On 2 December it became known that a criminal case was opened against her (art. 342, gross violation of the public order). She was transferred from Polack to Minsk detention facilities.
ABC-Belarus supports anarchists and antifascists who suffer from the persecution. You can donate using transfer details on this page: https://abc-belarus.org/?page_id=8661&lang=en