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Arrests, Convictions, Prosecution<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Maksim Znak<\/b>, lawyer, poet and musician, member of Viktar Babaryka\u2019s team, political prisoner, detained on September 9, remains<\/a> in jail until May 9.\u00a0He is charged under Art. 361 part 3 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus (call to action against national security), Art. 357 part 1 (conspiracy to seize power) and Art. 361 part 1 (creation of an extremist formation or its management).<\/span><\/p>\n Siarhiej Cichano\u016dski [Siarhei Tsikhanouski]<\/b> is charged<\/a> with <\/span>four counts under the Criminal Code of Belarus:<\/span><\/p>\n The most severe article is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.<\/span><\/p>\n On March 10, the Brest Prosecutor’s Office opened<\/a> a <\/span>criminal case over the heroization of war criminals<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span>Hanna Pani\u0161ava<\/b>, the principal of the Polish School in Brest, was detained on March 12 when she returned to Belarus from a working visit to Poland. Anastasija Pieravo\u0161\u010dykava [Anastasiya Peravoshchykava]<\/b>, a resident of Homel who has been in prison since the end of January 2021 (she was tried 6 times in a row, each time receiving 15 days of administrative arrest, which makes 105 days in total), has been recognized<\/a> a political prisoner. <\/span><\/p>\n Ihar Bancar [Igor Bantser],<\/b> musician and activist, has been<\/a> on a “dry” hunger strike<\/span>\u00a0since March 3. On March 12, another regular hearing in his case took place, he asked the court to change the measure of restraint and release him from custody, but the judge did not grant his request. The next hearing in his case is scheduled for March 18, potentially the 16th day of his hunger strike.<\/span><\/p>\n Ihar \u0141osik [Ihar Losik]<\/b>, a journalist and blogger, political prisoner, announced the beginning of a “dry” hunger strike on March 11.<\/span><\/p>\n Natalla Chier\u0161e [Natalia Hershe]<\/b>, artist, political prisoner who had been on hunger strike since February 22, ended it on March 12.<\/span><\/p>\n Lizavieta Han\u010darova [Lizaveta Hancharova]<\/b>, designer and artist, was detained in Minsk on March 12 together with her father during a small neighborhood protest action. <\/span><\/p>\n On March 14, several people were detained<\/a> during the <\/span>Maslenitsa<\/b> celebrations in Minsk.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In Brest on March 15, ten more people were convicted<\/a><\/span>\u00a0in the <\/span>“Karahod case”<\/b>. They received sentences from 1.5 years of home arrest (chimiya) to 1 year and 8 months in prison. No journalists were let to the pronouncement of the verdict. <\/span><\/p>\n Pressure, Dismissal, Ban<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Alaksandr Pamidora\u016d [Aliaksandr Pamidorau]<\/b>, the musician, showman and radio host, was called by phone for questioning by the Department of Financial Investigations on March 10. He demanded that a summons be sent.<\/span><\/p>\n The <\/span>exhibition<\/b> “Dance Theater in the Theater” by the choreographer of the Hrodna Drama Theater <\/span>Viktoryja Balcar <\/b>(who has worked there since 1996), who has participated in the projects taking place at the only independent cultural space in Hrodna “Center of Urban Life”, was banned to be held in the theater. Also, the contract with Viktoryja is not extended.<\/span><\/p>\n Symbols<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n The system\u2019s attacks on everything related to <\/span>white-red-white<\/b> colors is taking on increasingly absurd forms. Courts do not stop work even on weekends: on Sunday, March 7, <\/span>Alaksandr Danilin<\/b>, who was detained on the night of January 6-7 while hanging ribbons in Bara\u016dlany, was sentenced to 15 days of administrative arrest. On Sunday, closed hearings were held in at least three courts, having sentenced at least four people to administrative arrests. It might have been related to the fact that March 8 (Monday) was a public holiday.<\/span><\/p>\n Pavie\u0142 Sieviaryniec [Paviel Seviarynets]<\/b> turned<\/a> to<\/span>\u00a0Metropolitan Benjamin asking him to stand up for the <\/span>white-red-white flag<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n Cultural Resistance<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/penbelarus.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/1_maksim-znak-340x240.jpg\")
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\n<\/span>\u2192 On February 28, 2021, the Polish Consul in Brest Jerzy Timofeiuk took part in an event dedicated to the Day of “Damned Soldiers” and by this allegedly violated the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations by participating in the event.
\n\u2192\u00a0<\/span>In this regard, on March 9, Charg\u00e9 d’Affaires of Poland Martin Wojciechowski<\/span>\u00a0was summoned<\/a> to the Foreign Ministry of Belarus.
\n\u2192\u00a0<\/span>In response, on March 10, Poland declared<\/a> the diplomat from the Belarusian Embassy in Warsaw a persona non grata.
\n\u2192\u00a0<\/span>On March 11, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry informed Wojciechowski about the inexpediency of the presence of two more Polish diplomats on the territory of the country \u2013 the head and consul of the Consulate General of Poland in Hrodna.
\n\u2192\u00a0<\/span>On March 12, the Polish Foreign Ministry announced the expulsion of two Belarusian consuls from Warsaw and Bialystok.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/penbelarus.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/1_galadouka_banczar.jpg\")
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