Jailed BPF leader in hospital since April 27

May 16, BPN. The jailed leader of the Belarusian Popular Front (BPF), Ryhor Kastusioŭ, was hospitalized on April 27 and was still in hospital on May 11, his son-in-law Dźmitryj Antončyk wrote on Facebook.

His family says he is battling cancer.

Police arrested Kastusioŭ, 66, in April 2021 in a high-profile coup d’état case.

In September 2022, authorities sentenced him to 10 years in prison on charges of conspiracy to seize state power in an unconstitutional way. Kastusioŭ pleaded not guilty.

In late November 2022, the Supreme Court upheld the sentence. About a week later, the interior ministry added Kastusioŭ to the register of persons involved in extremist activities.

The politician is serving his prison term at Penal Colony No 22 in Damanava, Brest region.

Human rights defenders declared Kastusioŭ a political prisoner.