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
Arrest Lord Mountbatten's self
Families of the Birmingham pub bombing victims yesterday demanded that a former IRA commander implic2024-05-22Biden says Brown v. Board of Education ruling was about more than education
WASHINGTON (AP) — The landmark 1954 Supreme Court ruling that desegregated schools was about more th2024-05-22Yu Darvish extends scoreless innings streak to 25 in Padres' 9
ATLANTA (AP) — Yu Darvish dominated a slumping Braves offense and extended his career-high scoreless2024-05-22Amtrak train hits pickup truck in upstate New York, 3 dead including child
NEW YORK (AP) — A child was among the three victims killed when a passenger train hit a pickup truck2024-05-22Medics remove 150 MAGGOTS from a woman's mouth after dental procedure left her with rotting tissue
A team of shocked medics removed 150 maggots from a woman's mouth that had appeared after a dental p2024-05-22Hall of Fame outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. to lead Indianapolis 500 field in Corvette pace car
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Hall of Fame outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. will drive the pace car for the 108th ru2024-05-22
atest comment