Broken furniture, broken doors, blown up floors – this is what the apartments of Belarusian oppositionists and their relatives who went abroad look like after searches were carried out on them. A video showing the housing before and after visits by security forces, accompanied by a screensaver from NTV’s “Housing Problem” program, is being posted on pro-government Telegram channels.

Recently, the apartments of opposition politician Valery Tsepkalo, former restaurant Vadim Prokopyev and blogger Andrei Pauk were similarly raided. Security forces also reach out to activists’ relatives – the home of blogger Anton Motolko’s mother and the editor’s mother was seriously damaged after searches Telegram channel “Punishers of Belarus” and YouTube channel “Wild Hunt” by Yanina Sazanovich. What do those that the Belarusian authorities want to put pressure on in this way say, and how do human rights activists view these actions?

“They ripped out the floor and destroyed my room”

“The first pogrom was in the summer of 2021. Security forces broke down the door and rushed into an empty apartment with pistols. Fortunately, my mother and grandmother, who suffers from dementia, managed to get out just a few days earlier” recalls the editor of the Punishers of Belarus Telegram channel. (recognized by the authorities of the Republic of Belarus as an extremist. – Red.) Yanina Sazanovich.

According to the activist, visitors broke the sofa in her mother’s apartment and for some reason scattered cat litter everywhere. Videos and photos of the “search” results were posted on the Internet. The second time, continues Sazanovich, security forces arrived in April 2022: “They ripped the floor up, completely destroyed my room. 2019. I don’t have any real estate there, so they destroyed my mom’s apartment.”

The girl also said that security forces also visited one of the villages in the Brest region, where her grandmother lived. Sazanovich does not know if they entered the house, but they demolished the old barn. In addition, according to her, there were visits to relatives with whom Yanina has not had contact for a long time. “I’m sure this is revenge and I even know which of the GUBOPiK employees is taking revenge on me,” shares the editor of the Punishers of Belarus Telegram channel.

As far as Yanina Sazanovich herself knows, a criminal case was opened against her in Belarus under art. 130 of the Penal Code (“Inciting hatred or social discord”).

“Even like-minded people aren’t satisfied”

On May 26, security forces came to search the apartment of blogger Andrei Pauk and his ex-wife Olga in the village of Oktyabrsky, Gomel region. spider in Belarus, they are accused of illegal actions concerning information about private life and personal data (part 3 of article 203-1 of the Penal Code) and insulting a representative of the authorities (art. 369 of the Penal Code).

“It was funny that they entered an empty apartment with pistols – no one has lived there for two years. I’m sure it’s just revenge. The point is to make a mess, show the neighbors what happens to those who don’t agree with the authorities, and cause us some moral suffering. I don’t know what they had in their hands – sledgehammers, axes – because everything that could be broken was broken. It’s not clear to me why they do it, because even their like-minded people don’t charm.” , says Olga.

She told DW that the crushed was purchased on credit, which she and Andrey continue to pay. If they stop, the guarantors will be forced to pay. Now the apartment is sealed. After the search, Andrei Pauk called the police to find out who and why destroyed his house. “We organized a show for the citizens of Belarus, I would like to meet the actors. But for some reason they are embarrassed by these things,” joked the blogger. “One of the interlocutors said that everything was in accordance with the law. I don’t feel sorry for things, I’m waiting for the artists and clients to be condemned.

Andrei and Olga’s parents were also searched. “As far as I know, a video was recorded with my mother about how she condemns me. However, it didn’t appear on the internet like that”, explained Olga.

“The aim is to intimidate people with different political views”

“Judging by the posts on the pro-government Telegram channels, the purpose of such “searches” is not to establish the truth, not to look for criminals, evidence or instruments of crime, but to intimidate people who have different political opinions. it is also served by the forces themselves. We can read how they comment on what they did. This is revenge, but revenge should not be the goal of justice”, emphasizes lawyer Mikhail Kirilyuk, responsible for justice at the People’s Anti-Crisis Administration (NAU) and the Council of Coordination of the Belarusian Opposition.

As for the pressure on the family members of political activists, according to Kirilyuk, it is worth remembering the provisions of criminal law and criminal procedure: when it comes to interrogation, a person receives explanations that he has the right not to testify against himself, as well as against people he justifiably considers his relatives. “In Belarus, people close to them are forced not only to confess… In fact, this is coercion to express a political position that contradicts their views,” continues the lawyer. “This, unfortunately, is the most vulgar political persecution.”

Human rights activists from the Belarusian Helsinki Committee (BHC) commented on the situation with the pogroms in the apartments of oppositionists and political activists who went abroad DW: “Law enforcement officers have the right to enter the premises, including opening the security devices. locking, opening the doors if a suspect is hiding there or “A crime has been committed. When they arrive at the apartments of people who have left a long time ago, and everyone knows it, that is an element of pressure on those people and their families.” According to human rights activists, such actions violate the right to the inviolability of home and privacy.