The Vyasna human rights center said on September 11 that political prisoner Andrey Buday, who is serving a 15-year prison term on terrorism charges that he and his supporters reject, has been charged with "blatantly disobeying prison guards' orders."
According to Vyasna, Buday's trial on the new charge will start on September 23.
Buday and five other members of the journalism advocacy group Busly Lyatsyat (Storks Are Flying) were handed lengthy prison terms in late September 2022 on terrorism charges that rights activists have called politically motivated.
The Crisis In Belarus
Read our coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues his brutal crackdown on NGOs, activists, and independent media following the August 2020 presidential election.
Buday was sentenced to 15 years, Alyaksey Hamez to 14 1/2 years, Alyaksey Ivanisau to 14 years, Alyaksandr Muravyou and Alyaksandr Sidarenka to 12 years each, and Mikalay Biblis to 8 1/2 years in prison.
The six men were found guilty of being members of Busly Lyatsyat, which was officially declared a terrorist organization and banned in Belarus in November 2021.
They were also convicted of participating in activities disrupting social order, conducting a terrorist act against a state official, premeditated damage to private property, incitement of hatred, and public calls for international sanctions against Belarus.
The trial was linked to the unprecedented mass protests challenging the results of an August 2020 presidential election that proclaimed authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka as the winner.
Rights activists and opposition politicians say the poll was rigged to extend Lukashenka's rule.
Thousands were detained during nationwide protests and there were credible reports of torture and ill-treatment by security forces. Several people died during the crackdown.
Many of Belarus's opposition leaders have been arrested or forced to leave the country, while Lukashenka has refused to negotiate with the opposition.
The United States, the European Union, and several other countries have refused to acknowledge Lukashenka as the winner of the vote and imposed several rounds of sanctions on him and his regime, citing election fraud and the police crackdown.