Belarusian activist's jail writings expose regime's brutality
Belarusian political prisoner Katsiaryna Novikava shed light on the brutal prison system in the country, describing her story on pieces of toilet paper. The information provided by the woman reached the media - reports the AP Agency.
Katsiaryna Novikava described that the Belarusian security services repeatedly beat her after she was detained in June 2023, wearing only a nightgown. The woman is one of hundreds of political prisoners in the 9.5 million person country ruled by dictator Alexander Lukashenko.
"Everyone at the police station beat me. I was also hit on the head," wrote Novikava, describing how she was treated during interrogations by Lukashenko's regime services. Her account was published in independent Belarusian media.
In August 2020, after Lukashenko's re-election to a sixth term, which the opposition and Western nations unanimously condemned and declared the election rigged, Belarus was shaken by mass protests. According to the Belarusian Human Rights Center Viasna, since then, the authorities have detained over 35,000 people, many of whom were tortured. Some individuals were forced to leave the country and were labelled as "extremists" by the authorities.
Novikava, who participated in the opposition protests, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison for inciting hatred, organising, and preparing actions grossly violating public order or actively participating in them, as well as disrupting the work of an Interior Ministry employee.
As Novikava informed, her health deteriorated after the beating, and she did not receive the required medical assistance.
"I fell from the top bunk of the bed and hit my head on a wooden shelf," wrote Novikava, adding that her injuries were photographed, but no treatment was applied.
Although most political prisoners are held in solitary confinement, Novikava stated that she was held in the same cell as Marina Zolotava, the editor-in-chief of the country's largest independent online news service Tut.by, sentenced to 12 years in prison.
"Letters almost never arrive. Even drawings have been banned," added Novikava.
Viasna expects Novikava's messages to be investigated by the UN Committee Against Torture.
"Novikava's letter sheds light on the catastrophic situation of political prisoners in Belarusian prisons," said The Associated Press Pavel Sapelka from Viasna, adding that the Belarusian authorities know that "systematic intimidation, beatings, denial of medical care, and information isolation are tantamount to torture against political prisoners."
Key Belarusian politicians, including Viktar Babaryka, Maria Kolesnikova, Mikalay Statkevich, and Maksim Znak, are being held under such conditions, and there has been no news from them for over a year.
Currently, 1,385 political prisoners are being held in Belarus, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski. Viasna reported that at least six political prisoners have died behind bars.
