Each year we summarize repressions against anarchists and antifascists in Belarus and try to point out general trends in state violence. To continue the struggle for freedom, we should know what tools our enemies use and should understand the conditions of your comrades. To do so, we suggest reading our 2023 review.
Pressure in the colonies and restrictions on solidarity
We see that the Belarusan state is trying to increasingly restrict the possibilities to support prisoners even more. Colonies’ and prisons’ administrations try by all means to prevent information spreading about inprisoned comrades and limit their communication with people outside. Often violating the rights prescribed by law, prisoners’ applications for visits from relatives and lawyers are not accepted. Relatives are threatened in order to restrict spreading news about prisoners to the public.The state also seeks to worsen prison conditions at every opportunity. In 2023, we observed the following repressive practices in detention centers.
Punishment with punitive isolation cells and cell-type facilities
A punitive isolation cell is usually a cold room with stone walls and wooden bunks, which are only unlatched at night. In this cell, it is forbidden to take books, stationery, food, to order food from the local store, and to send and receive letters; prisoners are left alone with their thoughts.
According to our information, in 2023 several times to punitive isolation cells were placed:
- Siarhei Ramanau, Penitentiary colony №9
- Ihar Alinevich, Prison №8
- Mikita Jemialjanau, Prison №1.
- Mikalai Dziadok, Prison №1
- Jauhien Rubashka, Prison №8
- Dzmitry Rezanovich, Penitentiary colony №22
- Dzmitry Dubouski, Prison №4
- Aliaksandr Frantskevich*, formerly colony №5, now colony №11.
In mid-October Tamaz Pipia was sent to a cell. Also, several anarchist prisoners were transferred to a cell-type facility for a period of 3 to 6 months.
It is important to note that we are not always able to find out when prisoners are placed in cells, and we are not always able to spread this information publicly.
Restriction or total ban on correspondence and phone calls
Almost all prisoners may only correspond with their immediate family. Letters from friends and comrades are destroyed by the prison administration. At the same time, some prisoners face even stricter restrictions.
Aliaksandr Frantskevich does not receive any letters, even from his closest relatives. His mother had to seek a meeting with the colony administration to find out what is happening to her son.
Dzmitry Rezanovich receives letters from his relatives with severe interruptions. There are suspicions that on the orders of the administration of the penitentiary colony №22 the correspondence addressed to political prisoners is burnt in the local stoker.
Also, prison administrations often restrict the possibility of calling relatives of prisoners.
Restriction of parcels
Many prisoners are not allowed to receive medical parcels and are restricted in receiving parcels allowed by their security regime. Mikita Jemialjanau was not given food parcels in prison for three months.
Detention of relatives
During the raids in Homel region in the second half of March Fiodar Charankou (husband of anti-fascist Krystsina Charankova, sentenced to 2.5 years of imprisonment), was detained and then arrested for 15 days.
Tightening of the security regime and transfer to prison
Although there were no new anti-authoritarian prisoners in Belarus in 2023, trials still took place. Several people were transferred to prisons as a result of cases of so called colony regime violations.
On March 22, the court of Vaukavysk district (judge Siarheika N.A.) ruled to transfer Mikita Jemialjanau to prison regime.
On April 19, the court of Babrujsk district and the city of Babrujsk ruled to transfer Yauhen Rubashka to prison regime.
On June 27th, the court of Vitsebsk district (judge Natallia Tretsiakova) ruled to transfer Dzmitry Dubouski to prison regime.
Increase of the term under Art. 411 of the Criminal Code
In March 2023, anarcho-partisan Siarhei Ramanau was sentenced to an additional 11 months of imprisonment for allegedly “malicious disobedience to the demands of the colony administration” (Article 411 of the Criminal Code). Earlier he was sentenced to 20 years in prison for a series of radical actions. In June, his appeal against the sentence was left unchanged.
Other forms of pressure
By the end of the year colony №5 in Ivatsevichy was liquidated, and in its place it is planned to create a treatment and labor detention center. According to DissidentBy, there were five political prisoners in this colony, including anarchist Aliaksandr Frantskevich*. Later it became known that Frantskevich was transferred to colony №11.
It was also reported that some political prisoners were transferred to other colonies: for example, about 20 people were transferred from colony №22. Reasons for such transfers and who may be affected by them in the future are unknown. Expectation of the worst and the uncertainty keep both prisoners and their relatives in constant tension and stress.
Administrative arrests
Apart from the already mentioned Fiodar Charankou, in 2023 there were not many administrative arrests against the anti-authoritarian left-wing activists we aware of.
Musicians from the punk band faceOFF, brothers Dzianis Piatukh and Dzmitry Piatukh, were detained in the morning of May 22 in Minsk, their homes were searched and their equipment was confiscated. The next day faceOFF guitarist Aliaksei was also detained. On May 25th it became known that the brothers were sentenced to 15 days each, while the guitarist of the band – to 13 days.
Good news
On October 12, two prisoners were released: Ryta Zotava and Mikita Khilkevich. They served a 2-year prison sentence for pasting stickers of the anarchist collective “Pramen”.
During the year 2023 the ABC-Belarus members visited 13 cities in Europe with presentations about anarchism and the situation with imprisoned comrades. We warmly thank all the international comrades who invited us to their cities, provided us with accommodation and facilities.
We also renewed our distro and distributed it at many international conventions, including the anarchist convention in St. Imier, where more than 2,000 people came.
State brutality is not backing down, but neither is our solidarity! You can show your solidarity in the following ways:
- spread our news on social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Telegram, Mastodon
- sign up for regular donations on LiberaPay, Patreon, Kofi, Stripe or PayPal
- offer your help – at the moment we really need a designer, illustrator and video editor, but if you have other ideas how you can help us, email belarus_abc@riseup.net.
- organize a solidarity action or a benefit in favor of ABC-Belarus in your city.
Solidarity is our strength!
* ABC-Belarus withdrew its support for Alexander Frantskevich in 2015 due to violence against comrades, threats against our collective and his stance on the collective assets of the movement. After Alexander’s detention in 2020, ABC declared critical support for him, details are in the statement.