CNN —Belarus has conducted mass raids, interrogations and arrests of dozens of friends and relatives of political prisoners, a Belarusian human rights group said, in the regime’s latest crackdown on dissent.
The Belarusian KGB reportedly came to the homes and workplaces of the friends and family of political prisoners, interrogating around 100 people and arresting at least 26 others.
Maryna Adamovich, the wife of political prisoner and former presidential candidate Mikalai Statkevich, was sentenced to 15 days in prison for “petty hooliganism,” the human rights group said.
Norway’s Foreign Ministry said it was “deeply concerned by yesterday’s arrest of Maryna Adamovich, other human rights defenders and their family members.” It called for all political prisoners to be released immediately.
“Over the past year, Belarusian authorities doubled down to create an information vacuum around raging repressions by cutting political prisoners off from the outside world and bullying their lawyers and families into silence,” the group said.
Persons:
”, Viasna, ” Viasna, Maryna Adamovich, Mikalai Statkevich, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, ” Tsikhanouskaya, Alexander Lukashenko, “, Maryna
Organizations:
CNN, Belarusian State Security Committee, Belarusian KGB, Human Rights, Belarusian State Security, Ministry, Dutch Foreign Ministry, Rights Watch
Locations:
Belarus, Belarusian