Chairman of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union shop organization at Polimir is detained again

On November 12, the electrician on duty and the chairman of the shop organization of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union, shop 200 of the Polymir plant of Naftan OJSC, Aleksei Stepanov, was again detained.

On October 28, Zinaida Bolobolava, judge of the Novopolotsk court, sentenced Aleksei under Art. 19.11 of the Administrative Code and awarded 15 days of imprisonment for reposting on social networks in 2019 the materials that were recognized as extremist this year. Aleksei was detained immediately after the trial.

He served his sentence in the pretrial detention center in Polotsk. However, after a 15-day arrest, he was not released. Human rights activists learned that a new trial had taken place over Stepanov. A lawyer was not allowed to see the trade union activist in the Polotsk SIZO, allegedly because of the epidemiological situation.

Intentional reprisals take place now at Naftan against the activists of the Primary Trade Union Organization of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union. According to the union, almost all union activists are detained and sentenced to administrative arrest, and after their release, the administration breaks off labour relations with them.