Russia's ally Belarus targets hundreds for showing solidarity with Ukraine during the war
A human rights report says hundreds of people in Belarus who have shown solidarity with Ukraine have been arrested in a sweeping crackdown under authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Hundreds of people in Belarus who have shown solidarity with Ukraine have been arrested in a sweeping crackdown under authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, a key ally of Russia in the war, human rights activists said Wednesday.
At least 1,671 Belarusians were detained for their anti-war stance or for expressing solidarity with Ukraine, and at least 200 of them have been given prison sentences ranging from one to 25 years on charges of “extremism and “conspiracy against the state,” according to a report by the Viasna human rights center.
In addition to the arrests, convictions and prison sentences, the report alleged that people were tortured, held in inhumane conditions and given fines, with some subjected to forced psychiatric treatment.
At least 12 Ukrainians in Belarus have been convicted on charges of “extremism” and purported links to Ukrainian security agencies, and given prison terms, said Ihor Kyzym, a Ukrainian diplomat who previously served as that country’s ambassador to Belarus.
