|
Police searched the homes of 25 members of the independent
Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) and the human rights
organization Viasna-96, Viasna-96 said.
The authorities in a statement connected the searches to an
investigation into what they said was the financing of the
protests by "organisations positioning themselves as human
rights defenders".
More than 33,000 people have been detained in a violent
crackdown following an election last August that Lukashenko's
opponents say was blatantly rigged to hand the president a sixth
term in office since 1994. He denies electoral fraud.
The crackdown has prompted new Western sanctions but Lukashenko
has refused to resign, counting on diplomatic and financial
support from traditional ally Russia, which sees Belarus as a
buffer state against the European Union and NATO.
"They are looking for 'criminals' among those who help political
prisoners and write about the struggle of Belarusians for
freedom," wrote exiled opposition figure Sviatlana
Tsikhanouskaya about the raids.
"They look for 'criminals' in their parents' homes. But in
search of criminals, they should look into the offices of the
riot police, the GUBOPiK (interior ministry directorate) and all
those responsible for the repression."
The raids came on the same day as the ongoing trial of two
journalists from the Poland-based television channel Belsat in
Minsk, who face up to three years in prison for reporting live
from the protests.
Lukashenko held a two-day "People's Assembly" last week to
discuss political reforms, which his opponents dismissed as a
sham exercise to keep him in power.
(Editing by Matthias Williams; Editing by Alison Williams)
[© 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2021 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
