Arrr! A Belarusian matey writin' 'bout them anti-Lukashenko rebels be landin' 6 long years behind bars, ye scallywags!
2023-07-26
Avast ye! The Belarusian scribbler, Pavel Mazheika, hath been scuppered and sentenced to six long years in the brig! Why, ye ask? For naught but scribbling against the rule of that landlubber, President Alexander Lukashenko. Arrr, what a sorry tale fer a sea dog to hear!
A prominent journalist in Belarus, Pavel Mazheika, has been sentenced to six years in prison as part of a crackdown on opposition figures, independent journalists, and human rights activists. Mazheika, who was on trial in Grodno, western Belarus, was found guilty of "complicity in extremist activity" for covering the activities of the political opposition. He was accused of working for news outlets, including Belsat TV, which the Belarusian authorities have labeled as "extremist."In addition to Mazheika, lawyer Yuliya Yurhilevich was also sentenced to six years in prison. She was accused of providing Mazheika with information on Belarus' political prisoners, including prominent dissident artist Ales Pushkin, who recently died in a Belarusian prison. Yurhilevich, who had practiced law for nearly 18 years and defended human rights activists, had her license stripped in February 2022.
Mazheika, a well-known figure in Belarus, has previously been sentenced to two years in jail in 2002 for "slandering the president." Despite facing persecution, he has continued to work for independent news outlets in both Belarus and Poland.
During his trial, Mazheika described the proceedings as a "theater of the absurd," emphasizing that he and Yurhilevich were being tried for disseminating information. Mazheika has spent 11 months behind bars since his arrest in August 2022 and has alleged that he was severely beaten by law enforcement officers during his detention.
The sentencing of Mazheika and Yurhilevich has been widely condemned, with Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya describing it as a blatant attack on those who dare to speak the truth. Journalists and activists in Belarus have faced repression since the disputed August 2020 presidential election, with thousands arrested, beaten, and numerous organizations and media outlets shut down. Currently, there are 1,481 recognized political prisoners in Belarus, according to the Viasna human rights center.