Prison conditions of ailing party leader deteriorate, Viasna tells United Nations

January 17, Pozirk. The Viasna Human Rights Center has complained to the UN rapporteurs on Belarus and the right to physical and mental health about the deteriorating prison conditions of Ryhor Kastusioŭ, leader of the Belarusian Popular Front (BPF).
The center asked the rapporteurs to inquire about Kastusioŭ’s health and to urge Belarusian authorities to provide him with adequate treatment.
The authorities have severely restricted access to information about him, it said, noting that prison conditions are dangerous for his life.
A cancer patient, Kastusioŭ has been in detention since April 2021.
In 2022, Judge Uładzimir Areška sentenced him to 10 years in prison for alleged conspiracy to seize power, a charge he denied. The interior ministry designated him as an extremist.
Last year, the Supreme Court dissolved the BPF, but it continues to operate and has international partners.
- PoliticsBelarus FM lists Minsk's conditions for restoring ties with EUThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsSupreme Court brands Lithuanian organization as extremist groupThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, Security
- PoliticsUN expert urges Minsk to end political discrimination against workersThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy, Politics, Security
- PoliticsOpposition figure urges CoE to act against Łukašenka's transnational repressionsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SocietyBelarusian activists continue local governance training at CoE bodyThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityBelarus’ authorities find dead Sri Lankan near Latvian borderThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityZelensky says ready for peace talks anywhere but Russia and BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityBorder official accuses Lithuania of “artificially escalating” balloon crisisThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityŁukašenka claims drones that flew into Poland on September 9 were UkrainianThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Security, SocietyBorder official reports increase in illegal drone useThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- Politics, Security
- Economy, Politics, Security
- Politics
- PoliticsReprisals: Cichanoŭski’s TikTok banned as extremistThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy, Politics, Security, PoliticsMinsk, Vilnius in diplomatic spat over balloon smugglingThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy, Politics, SecurityLithuanian prosecutors doubt balloon smuggling qualifies as hybrid attackThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, PoliticsOpposition leader to address Paris Peace ForumThe material is available only to POZIRK+



