Family members and media rights advocates called on Belarusian authorities Friday to immediately release imprisoned journalist Kiryl Pazniak, who has fallen seriously ill while in custody.
The 49-year-old has been detained since September on extremism charges, which critics say are used to suppress dissent.
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He faces up to seven years in prison if convicted.
Pazniak hosted a popular YouTube program. His 20-year-old daughter has also been arrested on extremism charges.
Human rights groups consider both political prisoners.
According to his ex-wife Elena, Pazniak contracted pneumonia and COVID-19 before being transferred to a prison hospital in grave condition earlier this month.
She said he is not receiving proper medical care and his life remains in danger.
Belarusian authorities have not commented on his medical status or the allegations of inadequate healthcare.
Media Crackdown Continues
Andrei Bastunets, head of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, highlighted the risks faced by the press.
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"Freedom of speech in Belarus has a specific price, and today 21 journalists behind bars, including Pazniak, are paying for it with their health and ruined lives," he said.
Bastunets added: "Belarus has already become a black hole of Europe and leads the continent in the number of arrested journalists."
President Alexander Lukashenko has ruled the nation of 9.5 million for over three decades, drawing Western sanctions for human rights abuses and allowing Russian forces to use Belarusian territory during the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Mass protests challenged Lukashenko after the 2020 presidential election, which demonstrators claimed was rigged.
The government response led to tens of thousands of detentions, police abuse, and exile or imprisonment of opposition figures.
Since January 2025, Lukashenko has released hundreds of political prisoners through deals brokered by U. S.
President Donald Trump, aiming to ease American sanctions and mend Western ties.
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Despite these releases, the Viasna human rights center reports that suppression persists, with 841 political prisoners still held in Belarus's correctional system.
