Rights center says Belarusian authorities have arrested scores of people in latest crackdown

By YURAS KARMANAU
Associated Press

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A local human rights center says Belarusian authorities have arrested several dozen people in raids marking the latest in a relentless crackdown on dissent. The Viasna center says at least 64 people were detained on charges of “involvement in extremist groups” and “financing extremist activities.” Such accusations are routinely used to target dissenters. The center says some of those detained had cooperated with a humanitarian project providing food for political prisoners. Others were political prisoners who had been released after serving their sentences. Authorities have cracked down on opponents of authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko after huge protests triggered by the 2020 election.