A 22-year-old political prisoner has died in Belarus, rights campaigners say

Associated Press

Human rights activists say a 22-year-old political prisoner has died behind bars in Belarus. Viasna, the country’s oldest human rights group said Saturday that Russian-born Dmitry Schletgauer is the seventh dissenter to die in jail since Minsk launched a harsh and extensive crackdown on the opposition in 2020. Tens of thousands were arrested amid huge protests that followed a disputed election that gave authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko a sixth term in office. Rights groups say Belarus now holds some 1,300 political prisoners, and that many are denied adequate medical care and contact with their families.