Yana Arabeika

Yana Arabeika
Яна Іванаўна Арабейка
Arabeika in October 2020
Born (2001-01-17) 17 January 2001
Belarus
Alma materMaksim Tank Belarusian State Pedagogical University
OccupationHuman rights activist
Years active2020–present
OrganizationBelarusian Students' Association
Known forParticipation in the 2020–2021 Belarusian protests
Criminal charges
Violating public order
Criminal penalty
Two and a half years in prison
Criminal status
Released

Yana Ivanauna Arabeika (Belarusian: Яна Іванаўна Арабейка; born 17 January 2001) is a Belarusian human rights activist. While studying at the Maksim Tank Belarusian State Pedagogical University, she joined the Belarusian Students' Association and participated in the 2020–2021 Belarusian protests. Arabeika was subsequently arrested and imprisoned for her role in the protests, and was recognised as a political prisoner by national and international human rights organisations until her release in 2022.

Biography

Arabeika was born and raised in Belarus, and is the granddaughter of the poet Ivan Arabeika. She studied at the Maksim Tank Belarusian State Pedagogical University in Minsk, where she joined the Belarusian Students' Association.[1]

On 12 November 2020, Arabeika was arrested at a dormitory by the State Security Committee of the Republic of Belarus, as part of a crackdown on students and teachers from higher education institutions across Belarus who had participated in protests against the Belarusian government and the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, both preceding and following the 2020 presidential election. She was accused of contravening part 1, article 342 of the Criminal Code of Belarus, which forbade the organisation of or participation in group actions that "grossly violate public order".[2][3][4] Arabeika was held in pre-trial detention pending the start of her trial.[5]

On 18 November, a joint statement from 15 national human rights organisations, including Viasna, the Belarusian Association of Journalists, the Belarusian Helsinki Committee and the Belarusian PEN Centre, declared Arabeika to be a political prisoner. On 22 December, Annette Widmann-Mauz, a member of the Bundestag in Germany, became Arabeika's symbolic godparent, praising her "exemplary commitment to freedom and democracy".[6][7] On 20 January 2021, a joint statement from 14 Ukrainian human rights organisations, including the Association of Ukrainian Monitors on Human Rights Conduct in Law Enforcement, the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group and Skhid SOS described Arabeika's arrest as being "illegal" and her ongoing detention as qualifying as an enforced disappearance.[8][9]

On 16 July 2021, the Savetski District Court of Minsk sentenced Arabeika to two and a half years in prison. Arabeika had pleaded not guilty to the charges. The judge, Maryna Fyodorova, had since 2020 been sanctioned by the European Union in relation to human rights violations. The ambassadors of several countries, including the Czech Republic, Sweden, the United States and the United Kingdom, were prevented from attending the sentencing by authorities, who stated there was a "lack of seats" in the courtroom.[10][11]

Arabeika served her sentence at a women's penal colony no. 4 in Gomel, alongside Alana Gebremariam and Ksenia Syramalot, among others.[4][12] She got married while imprisoned.[13] Arabeika was released on 30 November 2022 after serving her sentence in full, following which she left Belarus.[12]

In 2024, artworks by Arabeika were included in "Belarusian art unbridled", an exhibition featured at the WeHo Festival in the United States as part of its "Art Against War" programme.[14]

References

  1. ↑ Hanchar, Hanna (17 January 2021). "«Піша, што трымаецца». Унучка беларускага паэта Івана Арабейкі сустрэне сваё 20-годдзе за кратамі" ["She writes what sticks": Granddaughter of Belarusian poet Ivan Arabeika to celebrate her 20th birthday behind bars]. Belsat (in Belarusian). Archived from the original on 27 October 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  2. ↑ "Яна Арабейка" [Yana Arabeika]. Viasna (in Belarusian). Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  3. ↑ "У Білорусі на два місяці заарештували представницю Тихановської" [In Belarus, a representative of Tsikhanouskaya was arrested for two months]. Radio Svoboda (in Ukrainian). 14 November 2020. Archived from the original on 24 July 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Student case, Belarus". Scholars at Risk. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  5. ↑ O'Malley, Brendan (28 May 2021). "'Criminalisation' of Belarus students, academics condemned". University World News. Archived from the original on 21 February 2026. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  6. ↑ "Members of German Bundestag take over godparenthood for Yana Arabeika, Artur Khalimonchyk and Siarhei Kapanets". LIBERECO. 22 December 2020. Archived from the original on 21 July 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  7. ↑ "STAND WITH BELARUS: PRIGIONIERI POLITICI DELLA SETTIMANA" [STAND WITH BELARUS: POLITICAL PRISONERS OF THE WEEK]. Federazione Italiana Diritti Umani (in Italian). 13 December 2020. Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  8. ↑ "Заява правозахисних організацій щодо незаконно утримуваних білоруських студентів" [Statement by human rights organisations regarding illegally detained Belarusian students]. Association of Ukrainian Monitors on Human Rights Conduct in Law Enforcement (in Ukrainian). 20 January 2021. Archived from the original on 30 October 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  9. ↑ "Правозахисники України закликають міжнародну спільноту захистити незаконно утримуване в Білорусі студентство" [Ukrainian human rights activists call on the international community to protect students illegally detained in Belarus]. Novynarnya (in Ukrainian). 20 January 2021. Archived from the original on 7 March 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  10. ↑ Nevedomskaya, Tatyana (16 July 2021). "Родные обвиняемых по "делу студентов": Приговор не удивляет" [Relatives of the defendants in the "student case": the verdict is not surprising]. DW (in Russian). Archived from the original on 21 October 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  11. ↑ "Вынесены прысуд па "справе студэнтаў": 11 фігурантам - па два з паловай гады калоніі, аднаму - два гады" [Sentence handed down in "student case": 11 defendants sentenced to two and a half years in prison, one to two years]. Viasna (in Belarusian). 16 July 2021. Archived from the original on 19 July 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  12. 1 2 "Yana Arabeika". Viasna. Archived from the original on 1 November 2024. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  13. ↑ "«Пацалаваліся, трохі прайшлі ўздоўж пакоя». Муж палітзняволенай Яны Арабейкі распавёў пра вяселле ў калоніі" ["We kissed, walked a little along the room": the husband of political prisoner Yana Arabeika spoke about the wedding in the penal colony]. Novy Chas (in Belarusian). 27 January 2022. Archived from the original on 9 July 2025. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  14. ↑ "Art Against War". RimoVision Group. 2024. Retrieved 21 February 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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