Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Rights Group Accuses Belarusian Authorities of Mass Arrests, Torture

VOA News

   Human Rights Watch has accused Belarusian security forces of detaining
   thousands of people and torturing hundreds of others in the days after
   the disputed August 9 election that gave authoritarian President
   Alexander Lukashenko a sixth term in office.

   A brutal government crackdown shortly after the election resulted in
   the detention of nearly 7,000 people. At least three people have been
   killed in the protests, and hundreds of others have been hurt by police
   aggressively dispersing peaceful demonstrators with rubber bullets,
   clubs and stun grenades. Lukashenko has alleged foreign powers are
   behind the protests and denies the vote was rigged.

   HRW said its findings were based on interviews with 27 former
   detainees, most of whom were arrested between August 8 and 12, 14
   people with knowledge of the arrests, an examination of 67 videos and
   written accounts from former detainees and their relatives.

   Some of the former detainees said they were arrested in the cities of
   Minsk, Hrodna, and Homeil as they participated in peaceful
   demonstrations. Others alleged that security forces pulled them off the
   streets or from their vehicles with "extreme violence."

.