Viktar Babaryka Resurfaces in Video After Over 700 Days of Isolation in Belarus Prison

An opposition activist in Belarus, Viktar Babaryka, appeared in a video after over 700 days without contact with his family. This comes weeks before an election likely to extend President Alexander Lukashenko's rule. Babaryka, 61, is serving a 14-year sentence after being barred from the 2020 election. He had been last heard from in February 2023, with reports of his hospitalisation due to beatings.

Political Prisoners in Belarus

The European Parliament has called for Babaryka's release along with other political prisoners. Raman Pratasevich, a former opposition journalist turned government supporter, shared photos and a video of Babaryka greeting his family. The authenticity and conditions of these images remain unverified by The Associated Press. Babaryka appeared thinner, wearing a prison uniform with a yellow tag marking him as a political prisoner.

Pavel Sapelka from the Viasna Human Rights Centre commented on the timing of the images' release before the January 26 presidential election. Lukashenko seeks another five-year term, adding to his three decades in power. Sapelka stated, "The authorities decided to show Babaryka in the run-up to the election to avoid accusations of forced disappearance of opposition activists behind bars."

Crackdown on Opposition

Belarus has seen a severe crackdown on opposition since the 2020 election protests against alleged vote-rigging. Around 65,000 people were arrested, and thousands faced police brutality. Viasna reports that at least seven political prisoners have died in custody. Many activists remain held without communication, including Maria Kolesnikova, who was also shown in photos by Pratasevich last November.

Opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, now in exile, expressed relief at seeing Babaryka alive. She urged authorities to disclose information about others held in isolation, including her husband Siarhei Tsikhanouski. "We must now demand to see all others who have been held in complete isolation," she said.

Pratasevich's Role

Pratasevich once ran a Telegram channel used during the 2020 protests. Arrested in 2021 after being removed from a diverted Ryanair flight, he later made confessions on state TV, allegedly under duress. He was eventually released and pardoned. Sapelka remarked, "We consider Pratasevich a hostage. He's doing all what is ordered by the Belarusian authorities."

Lukashenko pardoned some political prisoners last year but initiated new arrests before the upcoming election to suppress dissent. Babaryka is among 1,258 political prisoners identified by Viasna. Many top opposition figures are either imprisoned or have fled Belarus amid ongoing repression.

The situation highlights ongoing human rights concerns in Belarus as Lukashenko continues to consolidate power amidst international criticism and domestic unrest.