CoE commissioner condemns lengthy prison term to human rights defender Łojka

June 23, BPN. The criminal persecution of Belarusian human rights defender Anastasija Łojka showcases “systematic repression against civil society and critical voices” in Belarus since 2020, said the Council of Europe (CoE) commissioner for human rights, Dunja Mijatović.

The seven-year prison sentence “based on charges defying credibility, comes as the latest step in her prolonged persecution by the authorities,” she said.

She also noted Łojka’s previous arrests, harassment of her lawyers and the dissolution of Human Constanta, a rights NGO where she was playing a “leading role.”

“The repression of human rights in Belarus continues to deepen, targeting civil society actors, human rights defenders, lawyers, independent journalists and anti-war activists,” Mijatović said.

“Łojka should never have been prosecuted and imprisoned for her legitimate human rights work,” she noted, urging the CoE member states to show solidarity with Belarusian human rights defenders and civil society.