A political prisoner in Belarus smuggles out account of beatings after writing on toilet paper
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 country of 9.5 million people ruled by authoritarian dictator Alexander Lukashenko.
“Everyone who was in the office beat me. They hit me on the head,” Novikava wrote, describing how she was assaulted during interrogation in several detention centers. Her account was published in independent Belarusian media.
Belarus was rocked by mass protests during Lukashenko’s controversial re-election in August 2020 for a sixth term, which the opposition and Western nations condemned as fraudulent. Since then, Belarusian authorities have detained more than 35,000 people, many of whom were tortured in custody, forced to flee the country and labeled “extremists” by authorities, according to the Belarusian human rights center Viasna.
Related articles
New York's high court upholds requiring insurance to cover medically necessary abortions
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York can continue to require companies with health insurance plans to cover2024-05-22As China and Iran hunt for dissidents in the US, the FBI is racing to counter the threat
WASHINGTON (AP) — After a student leader of the historic Tiananmen Square protests entered a 2022 co2024-05-22Brittney Griner still adjusting after Russian prison ordeal. WNBA star details experience in book
Brittney Griner continues her efforts to settle into a normal routine following her release from a R2024-05-22Cast of the Lord of the Rings pay tribute to late co
The starring Hobbits from Lord of the Rings stood together to pay tribute to Bernard Hill this eveni2024-05-22Proposed $2.77 billion settlement clears first step of NCAA approval with no change to finance plan
A potential multibillion-dollar settlement of an antitrust lawsuit has cleared the first of a three-2024-05-22Why Airbus is staying humble even as Boeing flounders
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — In the latest round of their decades-long battle for dominance in commerci2024-05-22
atest comment