Belarus Daily | 9 Feb

Six months since the beginning of the protests in Belarus, “Victory Strategy” from Tsikhanouskaya; the first hearing of the trial over the journalists Katsiaryna Andreyeva and Darya Chultsova; court trials as evidence of legal default; detentions and searches on the eve of the All Belarusian People’s Assembly

9 February 2021 | Voice of Belarus
As of 9 February it has been six months since the beginning of the mass protests in Belarus.
Source: TUT.BY

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya published a “victory strategy”

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya summed up the results of the six months since the presidential elections in Belarus and published a “victory strategy”.

The strategy combines the actions of the team of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the Coordination Council, the National Anti-Crisis Management, the headquarters of Viktar Babaryka, and the headquarters of Valery Tsepkalo.

According to Tsikhanouskaya, negotiations and new elections await Belarusians ahead.

Representatives of these structures believe that the dialogue should begin in May with the mediation of international partners, including the EU, USA, Russia, which will “force the authorities to sit at the negotiation table”.

The main condition for the start of the talks is the release of political prisoners.

According to Tsikhanovskaya, several indicators will make it possible to determine that the authorities are ready for negotiations – law enforcement officers will stop repressions and key officials, security officials, and financial partners of Lukashenko will begin to withdraw money, quit their jobs, or leave the country.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
Source: TUT.BY

“She gave a positive assessment” to the ongoing events, therefore encouraging people to participate in unauthorized events – two journalists are being tried for a live broadcast from a rally in Minsk

A court in Minsk began to consider the case of Darya Chultsova and Katsiaryna Andreyeva (Bakhvalava), Belsat journalists, who were streaming from the Square of Changes on 15 November. They were detained that evening and later charged with a crime.

According to the investigation, Katsiaryna “gave a positive assessment” to the ongoing events, therefore encouraging people to participate in unauthorized events and therefore “organized actions that grossly violate public order”. The “crime” itself was committed by the journalists “with the help of mobile phones, video cameras, a tripod, and vests with the inscription ‘Press’”.

The court hearing lasted more than 7 hours. The break was announced until 16 February.

According to the Belarusian Association of Journalists, journalist associations from many countries of the world as well as the Committee to Protect Journalists have demanded the release of Belarusian journalists arrested for political reasons.

Darya Chultsova and Katsiaryna Andreeva (Bakhvalava).
Source: TUT.BY

Detentions and searches have intensified on the eve of the All Belarusian Assembly

Security officers are actively detaining activists of local telegram chats. People are being searched and their equipment is being confiscated.

The former Belarusian TV employee, Tatsiana Baiko, was searched. Her husband was arrested.

Yaraslau Kot, a professor of IPM business school and a teacher at the Belarusian State University, was also detained.

Presumably, the reason for these arrests is the upcoming All Belarusian Assembly.

A Belarusian opposition activist and former special forces soldier, Ihar Makar, called on Belarusians not to go to mass rallies during the days of the All Belarusian Assembly for safety reasons and in order to save the protesting asset for the spring.

Yaraslau Kot.
Source: t.me/belarusseichas

The judicial machine does not stop crushing people’s lives

The “Tsikhanouski case” trial is continuing in Hrodna. The accused are Yauhen Raznichenka, Uladzimir Kniha, and Dzmitry Furmanau. They were detained at a pre-election picket in the regional center on 29 May of the previous year.

The trial over Liavon Khalatran, a volunteer at the Babaryka’s headquarters, has begun in Minsk. He was detained on 11 August 2020. The article for prosecution is trivial: organizion and preparation actions that grossly violate public order or active participation in them. The headquarters volunteer does not admit his guilt.

A political prisoner Artsiom Sauchuk received four years in a strict regime colony for participating in the rally on 10 August. According to his lawyer, the entire charge was based on the investigator’s assumption.

In Navahrudak a local woman received 10 days of arest for participating in a Holocaust tour. She legitimately paid for the tour at the local museum. There were about 20 people on the tour.

On 9 February 11 more people were recognized as political prisoners in Belarus. As of now there are already 239 prisoners of conscience in the country.

Liavon Khalatran.
Source: mediazona.by

For more information on the events of 9 February 2020, please visit Infocenter Free Belarus 2020: