An imprisoned journalist in Belarus designated a political prisoner by a leading rights group

By YURAS KARMANAU
Associated Press

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A prominent journalist in Belarus has been designated a political prisoner by the country’s leading human rights group. The classification on Tuesday came following Ihar Karne’s conviction on charges widely seen as part of an ongoing crackdown on dissent. Karnei used to write for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and other news outlets. He was handed a three-year prison sentence on Friday on charges of participation in an extremist group. Karnei is a member of the Belarusian Association of Journalists. The BAJ is the country’s top independent journalist group that has championed freedom of speech and been branded extremist by authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko’s government. Karnei is one of 34 Belarusian journalists who are in prison serving their sentences or awaiting trial.