TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — It’s been 434 days since the family of imprisoned Belarusian opposition figure Maria Kolesnikova heard from her, her relatives said Wednesday, on the activist’s 42nd birthday.
Kolesnikova, who is serving 11 years in prison for helping organize anti-government protests in Belarus in 2020, and other imprisoned opposition figures have been held incommunicado for months on end, raising fears for their well-being.
“It’s the fourth birthday that Maria spends behind bars, and recently we received information that her health is deteriorating and we don’t know if she’s being treated at all,” her sister Tatsiana Khomich told Belarusian media. Khomich added that the last letter the family received from Kolesnikova came in February 2023, and bits and pieces of news about her trickle through other inmates.
Belarus was rocked by mass protests after an election in 2020 that gave authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko his sixth term in office — a vote that was denounced by the West and the opposition as fraudulent. Authorities responded by arresting more than 35,000 people and brutally beating thousands of them. Many top opposition figures were arrested and given long prison terms, while others fled abroad.
Investigator says Trump, allies were part of Michigan election scheme despite not being charged
Missed the 2024 solar eclipse? Here's when and where you can see the next one
California is poised for major earthquake THIS YEAR
Early man's best friend was the fox as the animal was domesticated by humans, research suggests
How US changes to 'noncompete' agreements and overtime pay could affect workers
How community groups helped hundreds of migrants bused in from Texas
I lifted 200kg weights two days before giving birth
Woman's rare disease causes 20
Biden administration is announcing plans for up to 12 lease sales for offshore wind energy
New Yorker gives hilarious reaction to being underwhelmed by solar eclipse