Activist who ran for Belarusian presidency in 2020 detained
A human rights group says an opposition politician who ran against authoritarian Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has been arrested in Minsk
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.An opposition politician who ran against authoritarian Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in the controversial 2020 presidential election has been arrested in Minsk, a human rights group said Thursday.
Andrey Dzmitryeu, a 41-year-old activist who heads the Tell the Truth movement, was seized by security forces late Wednesday near his home in the Belarusian capital, the Viasna center reported.
The reason for the arrest and the charges against him are still unknown. Dzmitryeu is being held at the notorious Okrestsina Detention Center, where human rights activists say political prisoners have been tortured. Belarusian authorities declined to comment on the reported detention.
Belarus was shaken by huge anti-government protests after the disputed August 2020 reelection of Lukashenko, which the opposition and the West denounced as having been rigged. Belarusian authorities responded to the demonstrations with a major crackdown that saw more than 35,000 people arrested, thousands beaten by police and dozens of media outlets and nongovernmental organizations shut.
Running against Lukashenko, Dzmitryeu finished fourth in the election with 1.2% of the vote, according to the official results. During the election campaign, the politician spoke in support of Sergei Tikhanovsky, Viktar Babaryka and Valery Tsepkalo, who were barred from running in the election.