Nearly 100 Political Prisoners in Belarus May Be on Brink of Death
Nearly 100 political prisoners in Belarus, jailed in a sweeping crackdown on dissent, have developed serious health problems and could be on the brink of death, the country’s leading human rights group Viasna said on Thursday.
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Mundo Viasna
Viasna, whose founder and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski is among those detained, has identified 93 prisoners of particular concern, who are suffering from cancer, heart disease and other conditions that are being neglected or poorly treated behind bars.
"In captivity, all diseases progress faster, and the lack of medical care exacerbates this," said Viasna official Pavel Sapelka.
"This is influenced by the conditions of detention -- lack of fresh air, poor nutrition, constant psychological pressure and stress," he added.
Belarus launched a harsh crackdown on the opposition after mass protests erupted across the country following disputed elections in August 2020 that handed authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko a sixth term.
Rights activists say some 35,000 people were detained in the crackdown, many of whom were beaten by police.
All the leading opposition figures have been jailed or have left the country.
Viasna says that 1,400 political prisoners are currently behind bars.
Among the cases cited by Viasna in the report is Maria Kolesnikova, who was one of the most prominent leaders of the post-election protests.
She underwent abdominal surgery but was swiftly returned to jail.
Viasna says her dietary needs are not being met and that its research suggests she was beaten before being hospitalised.
Other cases highlighted include 19-year-old Mikita Zalatarou, who has reportedly been denied tablets to control his epilepsy, and Yauhen Barouski, who told his family when he fell ill: "I'll probably die here".
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