TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A political prisoner in Belarus has shed light on the country’s brutal prison system by smuggling out her story written on pieces of toilet paper. Katsiaryna Novikava, 38, described being repeatedly beaten by security forces after she was detained in June 2023 wearing only a nightshirt. She became one of hundreds of political prisoners in the …
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TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Belarusian authorities on Friday convicted a famous dissident rock band, designating the band and its three members as extremist and sentencing them to two years of correctional labor. It was the latest in a yearslong crackdown on dissent that has engulfed this country of 9.5 million people. Nizkiz band members — Alyaksandr Ilyin, Siarhei Kulsha and …
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A Belarusian man who was in jail awaiting trial on charges of insulting the authoritarian president has died in custody, the country’s leading human rights group said Thursday. Aliaksandr Kulinich, 51, died Tuesday in a detention center in the western city of Brest that is notorious for harsh treatment of opposition activists, the Viasna human rights center said. NOBEL LAUREATE …
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TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Nobel Peace Prize laureate and activist Ales Bialiatski marked his 1,000th day in prison in Belarus on Tuesday amid increasing fears about his deteriorating health, his wife said. Natalia Pinchuk told The Associated Press that Bialiatski has remained in solitary confinement for the past half year despite his chronic illnesses. 12 LAWYERS DETAINED AS BELARUS CRACKS …
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TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Three activists of Viasna, the main human rights group in harshly repressive Belarus, have been arrested and charged with participating in an extremist organization, state television reported Thursday. The arrests were the latest in a long campaign by authorities to stifle opposition and independent media in the country, which has been under the authoritarian rule of …
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TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Authorities in Belarus have arrested a well-known activist on charges punishable by up to four years in prison, the country’s oldest rights group said Tuesday in what appears to be the latest in the yearslong crackdown on dissent. Dzmitry Kuchuk, whose Green Party was shut down last year, has been charged with “organizing activities that grossly …
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Belarusian authorities said Wednesday they have launched dozens of raids to target those suspected of “extremist” activities in new efforts by the political opposition to create “people’s embassies” abroad. The raids are the latest move in a crackdown on dissent by the government of authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko. Belarus’ Investigative Committee, a top state criminal investigation agency, said its agents …
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A prominent independent journalist went on trial in Belarus on Tuesday on extremism charges widely seen as politically motivated. Ihar Karnei, who used to write for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and other independent news outlets, is accused of participating in an extremist group, which is punishable by up to six years in prison. RFE/RL, a U.S. government-funded broadcaster, has been …
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