Most recently, the General Prosecutor Andrey Shved officially announced the initiation of 4,200 trials related to extremism and terrorism. On July 30, 4,691 cases have been added to this number on articles related to mass riots, intentional destruction and damage to property, violence and threats against officials and members of their families.

The Investigative Committee reported the opening of cases on 4196 facts of manifestations involving illegal mass events, riots, protest actions, encroachment on State sovereignty and public security, intentional destruction and damage to property, violence and threats against officials and their families. Of these, 857 criminal cases have already been completed. More than 820 criminal cases have been transferred to the Prosecutor for referral to the court.

Most cases have been opened for crimes provided for in articles 341 (desecration of buildings and damage to property) and 369 (insulting a representative of the authorities) The Criminal Code of Belarus.

The head of the IC, Dmitry Gora, said that the agency would continue to identify and punish radicals, extremists and “those who encroached on the sovereignty and public security of the country.” It means that the illegitimate government will increase the number of political prisoners in the country. The number of cases opened for political reasons is already approaching 9 thousand, while human rights activists report only 606 political prisoners.

It is already clear that the number of political prisoners in Belarus is much higher than the stated number. More than 8 thousand Belarusians who want changes are accused of politically motivated cases related to the protests. Belarus already ranks 191st in the world in terms of political and civil liberties — our country has fallen below Yemen, Uzbekistan, Laos, Venezuela, Iran, Sudan and Iraq. And shortly, this result may worsen — the illegitimate government is doing everything possible for this.

ICCI “Our House” condemns the actions of the illegitimate authorities and calls on human rights defenders to recognize as political prisoners all accused in cases related to the protests. All these people suffered for the truth, the possibility of choice and change in Belarus and were unfairly forgotten. Meanwhile, the number of political prisoners in Belarus is significant. Europe and the United States should understand that Lukashenka must go away. Only in this way we can resolve the situation in our country.

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