Belarus: Dozens of relatives of imprisoned activists detained in alarming new crackdown
Reacting to reports that Belarusian authorities detained several dozen individuals over the past two days, predominantly relatives of those imprisoned on political grounds, Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Director, said:
“As if unjustly imprisoning scores of critics and protesters was not enough, the Belarusian authorities are now targeting their families. This represents a new departure in the chilling campaign to exterminate all vestiges of dissent in Belarus since the disputed 2020 election. The severity is surprising even for a country and region that has witnessed more than its fair share of brutal reprisals.
“All those arbitrarily detained and imprisoned, including in connection with their peaceful political activism, must be immediately released. We also urge the international community to step up its efforts in documenting and addressing human rights violations in Belarus and to actively seek ways to hold the perpetrators accountable.”
Background
According to the Viasna human rights centre, on 23 January, police raided homes of about 160 individuals, mainly relatives of people imprisoned for political reasons. Some were taken into custody, others were searched and released. Notably, Maryna Adamovich, spouse of jailed activist Mikalai Statkevich, was administratively arrested for 15 days for “petty hooliganism.” Such arrests often lead to politically motivated charges in Belarus.
Charges of “financing extremist activities” and “participation in extremist groups” under the Belarus’ Criminal Code are commonly used for justifying arrests. Many detentions are connected to the INeedHelpBY project, aiding those financially impacted by political repression.
This pattern of targeting political prisoners’ relatives is not new in Belarus. On 9 January, Tatstsiana Seviarynets, mother of imprisoned opposition leader Paval Seviarynets, was detained and released pending trial in Vitsebsk, though her charges remain unclear. Additionally, on 19 January 2023, Darya Losik, wife of jailed activist Ihar Losik, received a two-year penal colony sentence for “facilitating extremist activity” related to her commentary on a banned TV channel.
