Cichanoŭskaja says jailed husband kept incommunicado

May 29, BPN. Belarusian opposition leader Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja has not heard from her jailed husband for almost three months.

“I don’t know if he is alive,” she has said in her video address released on the third anniversary of his arrest. “Back in February, propaganda workers were spreading rumors in their channels that he died in prison. Of course, seeing that, my heart was just breaking with concern for him and his life.”

“I read terrible news every day,” the politician said about the plight of Belarus’ political prisoners. She cited the recent death of Mikałaj Klimovič in custody, Uładzimir Hundar’s hearing loss in a punishment cell, and an alleged attempt by a guard to strangle Viktoryja Kulša.

Police arrested presidential hopeful Siarhiej Cichanoŭski weeks before the 2020 election. In late 2021, authorities sentenced him to 18 years in prison on a number of criminal charges, including organizing mass riots, inciting hatred and interfering in elections.