Belarusian Dissident Dies in Custody Amid Crackdown

Valiantsin Shtermer, a Belarusian businessman, died in prison while serving a sentence for insulting President Alexander Lukashenko. Shtermer's death highlights ongoing repression in Belarus, where political prisoners face harsh conditions. Over 1,200 political prisoners remain detained, as international concern grows over human rights abuses in the nation.

A Belarusian businessman, Valiantsin Shtermer, has died in a prison located in Shklow while serving a five-year sentence for insulting the authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko.

Human rights organizations report that Shtermer was the eighth political prisoner to die in custody, underscoring the severe conditions facing detainees. The crackdown on dissent follows mass protests in response to a contested election in 2020. Belarus currently detains nearly 1,200 political prisoners.

The UN has voiced concern over the inhumane treatment and poor health conditions in Belarusian prisons. Despite some releases, the treatment of remaining prisoners continues to draw international criticism.

(With inputs from agencies.)