Belarusian political activist Igor Lednik, convicted on charges of “slander” against Alexander Lukashenko, has died in prison, the Belarusian Social Democratic Party, to which Lednik previously belonged, said on Tuesday.
“Igor Lednik, a former member of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party, activist and journalist, died in prison at the age of 64,” the party said in a statement on Telegram.
The message was confirmed by the human rights NGO Viasna.
Glacier was arrested in 2022 and sentenced to three years in prison for “slander” against Lukashenko in an article published in a Belarusian Social Democratic newspaper.
While in prison, Glacier’s health “significantly deteriorated,” the party said.
Glacier suffered from heart disease and underwent surgery for a gastrointestinal condition. However, the party did not specify whether this was the cause of death or give its exact date.
Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya blamed the Belarusian authorities for the death of Glacier, calling the incident “injustice and an incredible tragedy.”
“The regime is killing Belarusians in prisons who wanted to change life in their country for the better,” she wrote in Telegram.
Last month, another oppositionist, Vadim Khrasko, died of pneumonia in the colony. Human rights groups said he did not receive the medical care he needed.
According to Viasna, there are currently more than 1,400 political prisoners in Belarus.
Голос Америки
