{"id":154692,"date":"2025-09-10T15:44:50","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T12:44:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/154692\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"rights-activists-urge-inquiry-into-jailed-dissidents-death","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/154692\/","title":{"rendered":"Rights activists urge inquiry into jailed dissident’s death"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n (viasna96.org)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

September 10, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> Every death of a jailed dissident is a consequence of a systematic mistreatment of people on politically-motivated grounds, says a joint statement by Belarusian human rights defenders issued in connection with the recent death of Andrei Podnebenny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cArbitrary imprisonment and persecution for expressing political beliefs run counter to the basic principles of democracy and the legal order,\u201d stressed the document published by the Viasna Human Rights Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Insufficient attention to these problems and inaction only deepen the human rights crisis in Belarus, affecting its reputation, rights defenders said, urging the international community to maximize diplomatic efforts aimed at freeing people imprisoned in Belarus for political reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The statement also called on the Belarusian prosecutor general and the Investigative Committee to investigate the death, establish the causes and inform the public about results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Podnebenny was found hanged on September 3 in a solitary confinement cell, his mother said on social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Four years ago, Judge Anatol Sotnika\u016d sentenced him to 15 years in prison on extremism- and terrorism-related charges for allegedly setting fire to the car of a senior police official, puncturing the tires of 39 trolleybuses and running an opposition Telegram channel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Besides Podnebenny, several other designated political prisoners died in recent years behind bars, including Vitold A\u0161urak, Mika\u0142aj Klimovi\u010d, Ale\u015b Pu\u0161kin, Vadzim Chra\u015bko, Ihar Lednik, Alaksandar Kulini\u010d, Dmitry Shletgauer and Valancin \u0160termier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On September 10, human rights defenders identified at least 1,194 political prisoners but the real number is considerably higher because of many undocumented cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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