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Arrests, Convictions, Persecution<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Ale\u015b Pu\u0161kin <\/b>[Ales Pushkin]<\/span>, <\/b>an artist, was detained<\/a> on March 31 and accused under Article 130 Part 3 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus \u2013 inciting national, racial and other hatred by a group of individuals. He faces 5 to 12 years in prison.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Miko\u0142a Dziadok <\/b>[Mikola Dziadok] was placed in solitary confinement for 9 days: on March 27, someone shouted \u201cLong live Belarus!\u201d during a walk, Miko\u0142a supported him. Miko\u0142a is now charged under three articles: Art. 342 (Organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order), Part 3 of Art. 361 (Calls for actions aimed at harming the national security of Belarus via the Internet), Part 1, Art. 295-3 (Illegal actions in relation to objects the action of which is based on the use of combustible substances) of the Criminal Code.<\/span><\/p>\n Volha Zavadskaja<\/b> and <\/span>Julija Badak<\/b> were sentenced<\/a> to three years of home imprisonment,\u00a0 <\/span>Andrei Kolas<\/b> \u2013 to three years of restricted freedom in an open penitentiary for hanging an effigy, <\/span>made of waste, resembling Lukashenka in a public place in Brest.<\/span><\/p>\n Viktoryja Mironcava <\/b>[Victoria Mirontseva] was sentenced<\/a> to 2.5 years in a general regime penal colony, and her sister <\/span>Nastassia<\/b> [Anastasia] \u2013 to 2 years. \u00a0<\/span>The girls were accused of “active participation” in group actions that grossly violate public order \u201dand\u201c violence or threat of violence against police officers\u201d on August 10, 2020. Viktoryja was also accused of “resisting a police officer or other person guarding public order.” A 26-year-old Viktoryja studied to be an art teacher, her 24-year-old sister Nastassia is a sixth-year student at the Academy of Arts.<\/span><\/p>\n The book <\/span>Belarusian National Idea by Zmicier \u0141uka\u0161uk [Zmitser Lukashuk] and Maksim Haruno\u016d [Maxim Harunou] has been recognized as extremist. <\/span> Novy Chas<\/b>, the country’s only weekly independent newspaper in the Belarusian language, received<\/a> a warning from the Ministry of Information for four articles. Two warnings are enough to start a liquidation procedure. \u00a0<\/span>Novy Chas pays a lot of attention to culture and art and publishes a monthly supplement “Literary Belarus”. In addition, the newspaper is an important source of information for prisoners (by subscription). <\/span><\/p>\n The legendary Belarusian <\/span>rock band Krama <\/b>was denied a touring certificate, so they won\u2019t be able to hold a concert in Minsk. Touring certificates are not issued to those musicians who performed at neighbours\u2019 gatherings. The songs of the legendary band also aren\u2019t played on Belarusian radio.<\/span><\/p>\n The art space Mesca <\/b>in Minsk, where the exhibition “A machine breathes, but I don\u2019t”, dedicated to doctors, just opened, was closed on April 2 by the decision of the Ministry of Emergencies.\u00a0<\/span>On April 5, the organizers of the exhibition and activists of the public association \u201cZvyano<\/a>\u201d <\/span>Natallia Trenina, Ta\u0107ciana Hacura-Javorskaja [Tatyana Hatsura-Yavorskaya] and Julija Siem\u010danka [Yulia Semchanka]<\/b> had their homes searched, after which they were detained and delivered to Akrestina detention centre<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n On April 2, the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus adopted in the first reading the bill “On Amendments to the Laws on <\/span>Countering Extremism<\/b>.”\u00a0<\/span>The document proposes setting a special fast consideration of cases in civil proceedings against organizations with signs of extremism, as well as the recognition of certain symbols and information products as extremist materials.<\/span><\/p>\n Symbols<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Unfortunately, already traditional punishments: 15 days for a white-red-white sticker on a car, a fine of 74 EUR [290 BYN] for curtains and ribbons tied on a branch of a tree, a fine of 562 EUR [1740 BYN] for two strips of siding to a mother of three children, a fine of 562 EUR [1740 BYN] for the emblem Pahonia on one\u2019s own balcony.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n Cultural Resistance<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n The premiere of the play “Leave Not Stay” by the independent theater company <\/span>HomoCosmos<\/b> took place on March 31 and April 1. Actors who quit the New Drama Theater together in the autumn 2020 play in it, directed by a famous Belarusian playwright and director D\u017amitry Bahas\u0142a\u016dski [Dmitry Bogoslavsky].<\/span><\/p>\n The short <\/span>animation<\/a> Mahutny Bozha (Mighty God)<\/b>\u00a0by Belarusian animator <\/span>Julija Rudzickaja<\/b> [Yulia Ruditskaya] has been listed for the Annecy Festival 2021, held annually in France in early summer.<\/span><\/p>\n On April 1, the <\/span>Modern Art Theater<\/b>, in the conditions of a ban on their live performances, showed an online performance<\/a> “Thisisdemocration”.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Nizkiz<\/b> has released a new song<\/a>, reflective of the mood in Belarus in early spring 2021.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/penbelarus.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/1_ales-pushkin-340x240.jpg\")
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Jahor Staravojta\u016d <\/b>[Yahor Staravoitau] was tried on April 1 for having the book Belarusian National Idea.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/penbelarus.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/1_zachynena-prastora-mescza-340x240.jpg\")
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