A political prisoner in Belarus smuggles out account of beatings after writing on toilet paper

By YURAS KARMANAU
Associated Press

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 describes being repeatedly beaten by security forces after she was detained in June 2023 wearing only a nightshirt. She has become one of hundreds of political prisoners in the country of 9.5 million people ruled by authoritarian dictator Alexander Lukashenko. There are currently 1,385 political prisoners in Belarus, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski. A rights group says at least six political prisoners have died behind bars.