Human Rights Crisis: Nobel Laureate Deprived of Medicine in Belarusian Prison

Ales Bialiatski, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and pro-democracy activist, is being deprived of medicine in a Belarusian prison as his health deteriorates. Bialiatski, who is serving a 10-year sentence, suffers from chronic illnesses that are worsening. His wife reports that authorities are deliberately withholding medical care and creating unbearable conditions.

Natalia Pinchuk, the wife of imprisoned Belarusian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, stated on Wednesday that authorities are depriving her husband of essential medicine as his health continues to deteriorate.

Bialiatski, a 61-year-old pro-democracy activist sentenced to 10 years in prison, suffers from serious chronic illnesses which have worsened during his three-year incarceration, according to his family. Attempts by his family to provide him with medicine have been blocked by Belarusian authorities, Pinchuk told The Associated Press.

The Interior Ministry has not responded to a request for information. Bialiatski was detained after mass protests erupted following a 2020 election that secured a sixth term for President Alexander Lukashenko, widely viewed as rigged. Despite being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022, Bialiatski's detention conditions have not improved. A Belarusian court found him and three colleagues guilty of smuggling and public order violations in March 2023.

With 1,405 political prisoners currently in Belarus, human rights activists allege authorities create unbearable conditions for many, including lack of medical care and communication with loved ones. Viasna, a human rights center, reports that Bialiatski is held in a prison known for harsh treatment, hard labor, and lack of correspondence. Although an amnesty was granted to some serious ill prisoners by Lukashenko, Pinchuk does not expect her husband to be released.

(With inputs from agencies.)