Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the exiled opposition leader of Belarus, expressed concern over the lack of communication with her imprisoned husband Siarhei Tsikhanouski for 421 days. She believes that holding him incommunicado is part of the government’s repressive tactics to isolate and manipulate him. Siarhei Tsikhanouski was arrested in 2020 after announcing intentions to challenge President Alexander Lukashenko in the year’s election and has since been sentenced to 19 ½ years in prison. Tsikhanouskaya, who ran in his place as the main opposition candidate, was forced to leave the country following the election amidst a crackdown on opposition figures.
In addition to Siarhei Tsikhanouski, several other prominent opposition figures in Belarus have also been held incommunicado for more than a year. This includes Maria Kolesnikova, Mikola Statkevich, and Maxim Znak, who have been in silence for over 400 days. The situation has raised concerns about the well-being of the detainees, as their conditions and access to basic necessities like cash, toothpaste, and toilet paper remain unknown. Tsikhanouskaya emphasized the importance of speaking out and supporting these individuals who are being effectively silenced by the government’s tactics.
The August 2020 election in Belarus, which resulted in Lukashenko’s controversial sixth term victory, was widely condemned as fraudulent by the West and the opposition, leading to widespread protests and a violent crackdown by authorities. Thousands of people were arrested, with many facing long prison sentences or forced into exile. The Belarusian government has repeatedly ignored requests from the United Nations for information on the whereabouts and conditions of opposition activists who have been held incommunicado, leading to further concerns about human rights abuses in the country.
The Belarusian human rights group Viasna has documented approximately 1,400 political prisoners in the country, including founder and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski. A representative from Viasna described the holding of opposition activists incommunicado as a form of torture, not only for the prisoners themselves but also for their families who are left in the dark about their loved ones’ well-being. This practice is seen as part of a broader strategy to punish political opponents and conceal evidence of mistreatment and torture by the authorities.
Despite the ongoing repression and lack of communication with their imprisoned loved ones, Tsikhanouskaya and other opposition figures continue to speak out against the authoritarian regime in Belarus and call for international support. The situation in the country remains volatile, with dissent being met with harsh crackdowns and public outcry often stifled by government censorship and control. The plight of political prisoners and the overall human rights situation in Belarus continue to be a source of concern for the international community, with calls for accountability and justice growing louder as the situation worsens.
