Belarus: Igor Lednik, political opponent of Alexander Lukashenko, died in custody

A political opponent of a Russian ally is dead. Belarusian opposition activist Igor Lednik died in prison where he was serving a sentence for “slander” against President Alexander Lukashenko, his former party and a specialized non-governmental organization said on Tuesday, in a country where more than a thousand political prisoners live. “Igar Lednik, a former member of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada), activist and journalist, died in prison at the age of 64,” the political organization reported on Telegram, the information was confirmed by the defense public organization “Human Rights Spring.”

Arrested in December 2022, he was sentenced to three years in prison for “slander” against the President of Belarus due to an article in the Social Democratic Party newspaper, the training added. In prison, his health “deteriorated significantly,” the party, which is run by foreign activists, noted. The organization added that he had undergone gastrointestinal surgery and also suffered from a heart condition, but did not specify the cause of his death or the exact date.

Fifth political prisoner to die in prison since 2021

Repression in Belarus is in full swing following the 2020 presidential election, which was found to be fraudulent and won by Alexander Lukashenko, in power since 1994 and a staunch ally of Vladimir Putin in Russia. The vote sparked protests on an unprecedented scale, which were suppressed by force. Since then, hundreds of activists, journalists, human rights defenders and ordinary citizens have been sentenced to long prison terms or forced to leave the country. According to the public organization “Viasna”, there are currently more than 1,400 political prisoners in Belarus.

According to the same source, Igor Lednik became the fifth political prisoner to die in custody in Belarus since 2021. In early January, Vadim Krasko died of pneumonia in the colony, Vesna reports. Belarusian human rights organizations condemned the conditions of his detention, assuring that he did not receive the necessary medical care.