Belarusian Authorities Detain More Than 70 People In One Day, Human Rights Center Says

The Vyasna (Spring) human rights center said that Belarusian authorities detained more than 70 people on January 23 amid an ongoing crackdown on dissent.

According to Vyasna, some of those detained were released after they were questioned and their homes searched, while some remained in custody as raids and detentions continued into the evening. In some cases entire families were detained.

Many of the people detained are either former political prisoners or relatives of individuals who are behind bars on what are seen as politically motivated charges.

Noted activist Barys Khamayda, 76, was detained in the northeastern city of Vitsebsk. according to Vyasna. Last summer he was sentenced to 15 days in jail for displaying a sticker with a symbol of the short-lived first democratic republic of Belarus.

Another of the detained people is Maryna Adamovich, the wife of Mikalay Statkevich -- a noted opposition activist who is serving a 14-year prison term, Vyasna said.

During some of the questionings and searches, Belarusian KGB officers said the raids and detentions were linked to investigations into the "financing of extremist groups" and "participation in extremist activities."

Other people told Vyasna that the officers said the raids and detentions were related to a criminal investigation of the INeedHelpBY project, which has been labeled an "extremist organization."

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Local activists told RFE/RL that security officers and police detained several activists in the southeastern city of Homel after their homes were searched, including Alyaksey Ramanau.

Last week, police in the western region of Brest detained six men on unspecified charges after searching their homes, breaking car windows, and destroying items inside their houses.

One of the men, whose house was searched was bleeding when he was taken to the hospital, Vyasna said, citing witnesses.

The raids and arrests came after relatives of several political prisoners and self-exiled activists were detained across the country in recent weeks.

According to Vyasna, as of January 23, the number of political prisoners in the country is 1,415.