Rights Groups Raided As Belarus Pursues Crackdown

Moscow, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Jul, 2021 ) :Belarusian security services on Wednesday raided the offices of the country's main rights group and detained several activists in an ongoing crackdown on dissent by President Alexander Lukashenko's regime.

Vyasna said officials raided its offices in Minsk and the homes of at least five of its members across the country. Several activists were held.

The group has been monitoring mass arrests that followed huge anti-Lukashenko protests last year.

Vyasna said activists in Minsk and regional cities had been targeted.

In the western city of Grodno, officials raided the home of Viktor Sazonov and "took him with them." His whereabouts were unknown, the group said.

In Orsha, a city near the Russian border, authorities "took the editor of regional website orsha.eu and activist Igor Kazmerchak somewhere.

" Another rights group, Lawtrend, also reported a raid.

Vyasna was founded in 1996 to help the families of political prisoners.

Last week, authorities banned access to the country's oldest news organisation, which is now online, and raided the offices of several regional newspapers.

The raids came a day after one of Lukashenko's main challengers -- Viktor Babaryko -- was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

Lukashenko, the long-serving authoritarian leader who sparked mass rallies by claiming a sixth presidential term last year, has drawn condemnation from the West whose leaders say the vote was not free or fair.

Western nations have slapped a slew of sanctions on Lukashenko and his regime but they appear to have had limited effect as he maintains backing from key ally and creditor Russia.