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Arrests, Convictions, Prosecution<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n On March 22, all participants, about 30 people, of the <\/span>Mova Nanova<\/b> event (where people can speak and learn the Belarusian language through interactive lessons, songs, etc.) were detained<\/a> in Va\u016dkavysk.\u00a0<\/span>One by one, everyone was released after they\u2019d signed a document confirming their awareness of the administrative responsibility for violating the order of organizing and holding mass events.<\/span><\/p>\n An\u017ealika Borys<\/b> [Andzelika Borys], director of the Union of Poles in Belarus, was detained in Hrodna on 23 March and sentenced to 15 days of administrative arrest. The reason for the detention was an administrative case for celebrations on an unofficial holiday “Kazyuki”.\u00a0<\/span>The Prosecutor General’s Office of Belarus has opened<\/a> a criminal case against An\u017ealika<\/span> and other persons under Part 3 of Art. 130 of the Criminal Code “Deliberate actions aimed at inciting national and religious hatred on the grounds of nationality, religion, language or other social affiliation, as well as the rehabilitation of Nazism, committed by a group of persons.” <\/span> They face from 5 to 12 years of imprisonment.<\/span><\/p>\n As part of the case, searches were conducted at the Stefan Batory Polish School in Hrodna, as well as at <\/span>Andrzej Poczobut<\/b>\u2019s, a journalist and member of the Council of the Independent Union of Poles, <\/span>Siarhiej and Volha Vieramiejenka<\/b>, owners of the store \u201cAdmietna\u015b\u0107\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Maryna Michiejeva<\/b> [Mikheeva], artist, had the house where she lives together with her husband Michalaj, searched on March 24, after which both of them were taken to the Kalinkavichy police department.<\/span><\/p>\n Jahor Tubielevi\u010d<\/b> [Yahor Tubelevich], a Belarusian-speaking blogger, was detained on March 24 after his home was searched.<\/span><\/p>\n Siarhiej \u0141a\u016dru\u0161\u010dyk <\/b>[Siarhei Laurushchyk], a resident of Navahrudak, was detained<\/a> on March 23 at his home. <\/span>Police came to him as they did to some other activists (those who were detained for participating in the protests in 2020 and 2021), but found weapons stored in the family museum, which became the reason for detention.<\/span><\/p>\n D\u017amitry Kubara\u016d<\/b> [Dzmitry Kubarau], a designer and political prisoner, on 24 March was sentenced<\/a> to 7 years in a penal colony on charges of organizing mass riots.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Jury Dansko\u016d<\/b> [Yuri Danskov], musician of the band Shaman Jungle, activist of Shod-Belarus, was detained at home on March 25. Shod is a digital platform that allows the people of Belarus to nominate and elect their representatives.<\/span><\/p>\n Inna Dabratvor<\/b>, a mother of five, was fined 1870 EUR [5800 BYN] on March 25 for the portraits of Sviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja [Sviatlana Tikhanouskaya], Maryja Kale\u015bnikava [Maryia Kalesnikava], and Viktar Babaryka and the Pahonia emblem on her windows.<\/span><\/p>\n Volha Kalackaja <\/b>[Kalatskaya], translator, received two years of home imprisonment for slapping an STV employee Grigory Azarenok on his face during one of the rallies. As her last word in court, she cited<\/a> a poem by Margaret Atwood.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Among more than 240 arrests on March 25 related to Freedom Day, there are creative people.<\/span><\/p>\n Dzianis Arher<\/b> [Denis Arger], photographer and designer (sentenced to 15 days of administrative arrest), <\/span>Siarhej Belavoki<\/b>, an artist (30 days of administrative arrest), <\/span>Darya Iksanava<\/b>, student of the Art College (15 days of administrative arrest), <\/span>Larysa Bialko\u016dskaya<\/b>, designer (released), <\/span>Maksim Svistuno\u016d<\/b> [Maxim Svistunou], artist (12 days of administrative arrest),<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Ullana Laskievi\u010d<\/b> [Ulyana Lyaskevich], a member of the Turandot amateur theater, was detained in Hrodna.<\/span><\/p>\n Poet <\/span>D\u017amitry Stroca\u016d<\/b> [Dmitry Strotsev] on 26 March was summoned for the interrogation by the Savetski district Police Department of Minsk to ask him about “throwing Molotov cocktails on the territory of the police department last October”. He postponed it till Monday. <\/span><\/p>\n A criminal case has been instituted against the head of the Hrodna Center for Urban Life Pavie\u0142 Ma\u017eejka<\/b> [Pavel Mozheiko] and artist Ale\u015b Pu\u0161kin<\/b> [Ales Pushkin]. The reason is a demonstration of a portrait of Augen Zhykhar, who was a member of the anti-Soviet postwar underground in the west of Vitebsk region during WWII. The Prosecutor General’s Office believes that these are “deliberate actions aimed at rehabilitating and justifying Nazism.” \u2192 Iryna Novik, a Hrodna.life journalist who is a witness in the case, had her home searched. Detained on March 27 at an attempt of a peaceful march in Minsk: Ja\u016dhien Ciaren\u0107je\u016d<\/b> [Eugene Terentyev], musician of the band Teleport (12 days of administrative arrest), Nastassia Piatrova<\/b>, artist of the Opera House orchestra (15 days of administrative arrest).<\/span><\/p>\n On March 27, <\/span>10 people visiting a museum of local history <\/b>were detained in Navahrudak. <\/span><\/p>\n Pressure, Dismissal, Ban<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Belarusian Donbass<\/b>, a book by journalists <\/span>Kaciaryna Andrejeva<\/b> [Katsiaryna Andreyeva] and <\/span>Ihar Ilja\u0161<\/b> [Ilyash], was recognized as extremist by court. It is banned in Belarus from now on. Journalist <\/span>Raman Vasiukovi\u010d<\/b> [Vasiukovich] will be tried for trying to bring 2 copies through the border last year.<\/span><\/p>\n Symbols<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n People are arrested not only for white-red-white flags and flowers, but also for Christmas lights, stickers, badges, a hat, a pair of socks, and a sign with the house number and street name \u2013 those are regarded as picketing.<\/span><\/p>\n Cimur Bujko<\/b> [Tsimur Buiko], a poet and an employee of the Institute of Linguistics of the Belarusian Academy of Sciences, was sentenced to 15 days of administrative arrest for “picketing by placing a badge with “Pahonia” and the writing “Long live Belarus” on his backpack.<\/span><\/p>\n Cultural Resistance<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Vital Aleksiajonak<\/b> [Vitali Alekseenok], conductor of the orchestra of the University of Munich, has published<\/a> a book “White Days of Minsk” <\/span>in the German publishing house S. Fischer. The book tells the story of the events of 2020, which changed Belarus, Belarusians and many people abroad.<\/span><\/p>\n Words are more powerful:<\/b><\/p>\n Singer <\/span>Valeryja Suravickaja<\/b> [Valeria Surovitskaya] (LEAR), who was detained on February 13 at the gig where she performed, and served 15 days of administrative arrest, reads<\/a> a poem by <\/span>Valery Marako\u016d<\/b> [Marakou] “Girl”.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Musician <\/span>Dzianis \u0160matko<\/b> [Shmatko], who was detained during the post-election demonstrations and sentenced to administrative arrest, reads<\/a> an excerpt from the famous poem “They Cut Our Land” by the poet Ale\u015b Dudar, who was executed in 1937. <\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/penbelarus.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/1_anzhalika-borys-340x240.jpg\")
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\n<\/span>\u2192 March 26 Pavie\u0142 Ma\u017eejka was detained.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/penbelarus.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/1_yaugen-czyarenczeu-340x240.jpg\")
\n<\/span>\u2192 March 27 Ale\u015b Pu\u0161kin\u2019s <\/b>home was searched at night, the phones and equipment of all the family members, including his son and daughter, were confiscated. His paintings were destroyed, and the windows were broken in the workshop.
\n\u2192\u00a0<\/span>March 29 Pavie\u0142 Ma\u017eejka released on a non-disclosure agreement.<\/span><\/p>\n
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