As Belarus prepares for its presidential elections less than three months away, democracy seems to be facing a major threat from the current government, as security agencies and authorities in the country have been accused of unlawfully arresting government-opposing protesters, and putting them at risk of contracting COVID-19.
According to Human Rights Watch, authorities in the country have arrested over 120 peaceful protesters, journalists, opposition bloggers and other critics who have spoken against the government between May 6 and 13, 2020. With the country failing to fully address its growing COVID-19 numbers, those arrested who are forced into shared detention facilities and jails, are also put at risk of contracting the virus says the agency.
“Arresting people for participating in or reporting on peaceful gatherings is an unjust penalty even in normal times, and pursuing this practice during a pandemic is simply outrageous,” said Tanya Lokshina, associate Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Belarus authorities compromised the health of the activists they detained, as well as the health of other detainees and officials around them. The authorities should focus on containing the spread of Covid-19 rather than contributing to it by prosecuting and arbitrarily jailing people.”
Some of those arrested by security agencies in the country include supporters of Sergei Tikhanovsky, a popular blogger who recently announced his decision to run for president, environmental protesters, Youth Block movement activists, as well as human rights defenders and journalists covering protests.
Protesters March against President Lukashenko’s Sixth Term Bid
Meanwhile, the recent arrests did not deter 1,000 protesters from taking to the streets in the capital Minsk to protest against President Alexander Lukashenko’s decision to run for a sixth term in the upcoming elections.
The largest opposition demonstration of the year, demonstrators were spotted in their masks protesting against Lukashenko who has held on to power by suppressing opposition and the independent media for over 25 years.
Elections are scheduled for August 9, 2020. As of May 21, Belarus has recorded 31,523 Covid-19 cases but is yet to order a lockdown like other countries.
