Russia’s ally Belarus targets hundreds for showing solidarity with Ukraine during the war

Associated Press

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A human rights report says hundreds of people in Belarus who have shown solidarity with Ukraine have been arrested in a sweeping crackdown under authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko. The Viasna human rights center says 1,671 Belarusians were detained for their anti-war stance or for expressing solidarity with Ukraine, with at least 200 given prison sentences ranging from one to 25 years on charges of “extremism and “conspiracy against the state.” The report alleged that people were tortured, held in inhumane conditions and given fines, with some subjected to forced psychiatric treatment. Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus with an iron hand for three decades, is a close ally of Russia and relies on it for subsidies and support.