Belarusian authorities launch a new wave of repression ahead of presidential vote

Associated Press

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Belarusian authorities have launched a new wave of arrests, seeking to uproot any sign of dissent ahead of January’s election in which authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko is seeking a seventh term. The Viasna human rights center said that more than 100 people have been arrested across the country since Thursday. The group said Wednesday that the arrests targeted participants in online chats created by residents of apartment buildings in various Belarusian cities. During massive demonstrations that were triggered by the 2020 presidential vote seen by the opposition and the West as rigged, such chats have been widely used for coordination of protests. Belarusian authorities responded to the demonstrations with a sweeping crackdown in which about 65,000 people were arrested.