Human rights activists count 130 arrested in raids

January 25, Pozirk. Security forces arrested more than 130 people in a recent crackdown across Belarus, the human rights group Dissidentby said tonight.

“So far, together with the Viasna Human Rights Center, we have counted more than 130 detentions. We know of criminal cases opened under Article 361-4 of the Belarusian Criminal Code,” the group said. The article prohibits supporting extremism.

A wave of searches and arrests swept across the country on January 23. According to the group, the raid could have been related to an extremist designation for the INeedHelpBY nonprofit.

Also, authorities arrested Maryna Adamovič, the wife of social democratic leader Mikałaj Statkievič, who is serving a 14-year prison sentence on charges denounced as politically motivated by rights activists.