KGB recruits political prisoners released on pardon – activists
September 28, Pozirk. The Committee for State Security (KGB) forcibly recruits former political prisoners on a mass scale, the Dissidentby human rights group reported yesterday.
The report concerns those released on pardon in 2024. Agents “insist that they sign a number of papers and agree to star in propaganda videos, and also forbid them to leave the country.”
The committee threatens new charges and pressure on families to coerce them into spying on the pro-democracy movement, according to the report. The KGB tells them to contact foundations and other groups with the purpose of extracting any information that can damage the opposition, it added.
Often, agents install spyware on their mobile phones “enabling regime agents to carry out intelligence activities online.”
Alaksandar Łukašenka has pardoned 115 people since July 3.
On August 16, he signed an edict pardoning 37 people sentenced for “extremist” crimes. Similarly, 30 people were pardoned on September 4 and 30 more on August 16.
In early July, human rights defenders reported the release of 18 political prisoners after Łukašenka had announced a pardon for his critically-ill opponents.
According to Supreme Court Chairman Valancin Sukała, 14 were released after the aforementioned announcement.
Today, there are 1,329 designated political prisoners in Belarus.
Seven more political prisoners added to Viasna list
September 27, Pozirk. Human rights defenders have designated seven people as political prisoners, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported. Five were sentenced to prison in closed-door trials. They are: Siarhiej Botvič (accused of covert operations), Dźmitryj Šlethaŭer (accused of espionage …