Belarusian police have conducted raids on event management companies suspected of having ties to the opposition movement, as part of a broader crackdown on dissent in the country. The raids led to the detention of at least four individuals, including a popular comic and the deputy director of a prominent event management firm.
Videos released by authorities showed detainees admitting to participating in opposition protests and having connections to opposition leaders. The authenticity of these videos could not be immediately verified, raising concerns about whether the individuals spoke under duress.
The crackdown comes in the wake of the 2020 mass protests in Belarus, triggered by President Alexander Lukashenko’s disputed election victory. The protests were met with a violent response from the police, leading to the detention of thousands of individuals.
According to the Belarusian human rights center Viasna, there are currently over 1,300 political prisoners in Belarus, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski. The center also reported that 161 individuals were convicted in political cases in May alone, highlighting the harsh reality faced by those who dissent against the government in Belarus.
The report condemned the arbitrary convictions and inhumane treatment of individuals who engage in protests or criticize the political situation in the country, painting a grim picture of the state of human rights in Belarus.
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