Belarus human rights activist goes on hunger strike in latest protest against Lukashenko government

By YURAS KARMANAU
Associated Press

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A human rights activist in Belarus has gone on hunger strike in prison protesting against Alexander Lukashenko’s repressive government. Aliaksandar Vaitseshyk was sentenced to 15 days of administrative arrest after he was convicted on charges of “distributing extremist materials.” It’s a charge which Belarus authorities have frequently used to detain activists recently. There were mass protests in Belarus during Alexander Lukashenko’s disputed election in 2020 and the West and opposition said they were fraudulent. Since then, Belarusian authorities have detained more than 35,000 people, many of whom have reportedly been tortured while in custody.