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TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A governmental captive successful Belarus has shed ray connected nan country's sadistic situation strategy by smuggling retired her communicative written connected pieces of toilet paper.
Katsiaryna Novikava, 38, described being many times beaten by information forces aft she was detained successful June 2023 wearing only a nightshirt. She became 1 of hundreds of governmental prisoners successful nan state of 9.5 cardinal group ruled by authoritarian dictator Alexander Lukashenko.
MAN ACCUSED OF INSULTING LUKASHENKO ONLINE DIES IN BELARUS JAIL
"Everyone who was successful nan agency hit me. They deed maine connected nan head," Novikava wrote, describing really she was assaulted during interrogation successful respective detention centers. Her relationship was published successful independent Belarusian media.
Belarus was rocked by wide protests during Lukashenko’s arguable re-election successful August 2020 for a sixth term, which nan guidance and Western nations condemned arsenic fraudulent. Since then, Belarusian authorities person detained much than 35,000 people, galore of whom were tortured successful custody, forced to fly nan state and branded "extremists" by authorities, according to nan Belarusian quality authorities halfway Viasna.
A governmental captive successful Belarus has shed ray connected nan country’s sadistic situation strategy by smuggling retired her communicative written connected pieces of toilet paper. (Photo by Maksim Konstantinov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Novikava, who participated successful guidance protests, was sentenced to six and a half years successful situation successful January. She was convicted for inciting hatred and interfering pinch nan activity of an Interior Ministry employee.
Novikava's wellness information worsened aft being beaten, and she said she is not getting nan required aesculapian attention.
"I fell from nan precocious bunk of my bed, and my caput deed a woody shelf," Novikava wrote, adding that her wounded was photographed but nary curen was given.
Although astir governmental prisoners are kept successful solitary confinement, Novikava said she was kept successful nan aforesaid compartment arsenic Marina Zolatava, editor-in-chief of nan country’s largest independent online news outlet, Tut.by, who was sentenced to 12 years successful prison.
"The letters almost ne'er arrive. Even drawings were banned," Novikava added.
Viasna said Novikava’s messages should beryllium investigated by nan U.N. Committee Against Torture.
"Novikava’s missive sheds ray connected nan catastrophic business for governmental prisoners successful Belarusian prisons," Viasna's Pavel Sapelka told The Associated Press, adding that Belarusian authorities cognize that "systemic bullying, beatings, denial of aesculapian attraction and accusation isolation amounts to nan torture of governmental prisoners."
Key Belarusian governmental figures including Viktar Babaryka, Maria Kolesnikova, Mikola Statkevich and Maxim Znak person been held successful specified conditions, and location has been nary connection from them for much than a year.
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There are presently 1,385 governmental prisoners successful Belarus, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski. At slightest six governmental prisoners person died down bars, Viasna said.
Human authorities advocates are documenting torture and forbidden curen of prisoners successful Belarus pinch specified regularity that nan state is "rapidly turning into a achromatic spread successful Europe," Sapelka said.
