Anti-Regime Death Stokes Fear and Protests Ahead of Belarus Election

Ihar Lednik, detained on charges of defaming Lukashenko, dies in prison
Following the death of Russia’s Navalny, another anti-regime figure dies in jail in Belarus, a Russian ally
Civil control intensifies ahead of the general elections on the 25th

Following the death of Alexei Navalny, an enemy of Russian President Vladimir Putin, in prison, another anti-regime figure died in jail in Belarus, a Russian ally.

According to Le Monde, on the 20th (local time), the human rights organization Viasna announced that Ihar Lednik, a former congressman and political activist, died in prison.

Lednik was arrested in 2022 on charges of defaming President Alexander Lukashenko and sentenced to three years in prison. He was known to have a heart disease, but the cause of death has not been disclosed yet.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, a Belarusian opposition party’s leader currently in exile abroad, criticized the current regime via Telegram, stating, “It’s an unbelievable tragedy. The current regime is killing its citizens in prison who were trying to change Belarus for the better.”

Last month, another anti-regime figure, Vadim Krasikov, also died in a Belarusian prison. The cause was pneumonia, but his associates claim he did not receive proper treatment in prison. Since the massive protests that erupted following the 2020 presidential election, Belarus has been cracking down on figures opposing the Lukashenko regime, and currently, over 1,400 political prisoners are being held, according to Le Monde.

Meanwhile, general elections will be held in Belarus on the 25th. The parties of the registered candidates for this election are all four, all known to support the Lukashenko regime. As a result, hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets in protests across Belarus in recent months. In the process, 35,000 people were arrested, and the police assaulted thousands.

Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, warned in a statement, “The EU criticizes the ongoing human rights violations and unprecedented level of repression ahead of the upcoming elections. Those responsible must be held accountable.”

President Lukashenko responded in a national address, “The West is instigating unrest. After the vote, they will try to use a new trigger to destabilize society.”