Law enforcement in Belarus have put criminal charges against four more bloggers over their criticism of the government amid upcoming presidential elections and intensified opposition activities, the Minsk-based Viasna human rights center said in a news release on Friday
MINSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th June, 2020) Law enforcement in Belarus have put criminal charges against four more bloggers over their criticism of the government amid upcoming presidential elections and intensified opposition activities, the Minsk-based Viasna human rights center said in a news release on Friday.
"Four bloggers known for their criticism of the current government have been charged under Art. 342 of the Criminal Code [group actions that grossly disturb public order] and are facing up to three years in prison," the news release read.
More specifically, popular YouTube bloggers Vladimir Neronskiy, Vladimir Tikhanovich, and Sergey Petrukhin, as well as Igor Losik, the administrator of a Telegram channel called Belarus Golovnogo Mozga, were accused of involvement in the May 29 election picket in Hrodna which back then resulted in arrest of blogger Sergey Tikhanovskiy and several others. Neronskiy is facing an additional charge of "insulting an official" under Art. 369 of the Criminal Code based on a video he posted on YouTube which allegedly offended a local executive committee official.
"Viasna insists that the charges are politically motivated and all the persons involved in the case will be qualified as political prisoners," the group said.
Additionally, rights activists fear the case might be used against Aleksandar Kabanov, another vlogger and spokesman for Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's presidential nomination campaign, already serving a 15-day detention sentence.
Last Friday launched a wave of arrests across Belarus and especially in the capital of Minsk as people gathered for pickets organized to collect signatures in support of opposition presidential would-be candidates. Some of the pickets grew into mass gatherings, with people standing in miles-long lines, dubbed "chains of solidarity," for hours to protest against the detention of opposition candidates and activists. The number of people detained during these events was roughly 270, according to law enforcement, and more than 360, according to Viasna.
On Thursday, Belarusian Interior Minister Yuri Karaev claimed that the protests and chains of solidarity are being controlled via Telegram channels and live broadcasts by Radio Free Europe.
Belarus is due to hold a presidential election on August 9.
