FILE – In this photo provided by the Belarusian Presidential Press Service, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko speaks to military personnel in the Oshmyany District, Grodno region of Belarus, March 26, 2024.
A 22-year-old Russian man considered a political prisoner by activists has died in a penal colony in Belarus, human rights group Viasna said Friday.
The rights group said it confirmed the death of Dmitry Shletgauer, who was recently transferred to a penal colony in Mogilev in eastern Belarus.
Viasna said Shletgauer had been at the penal colony for a short time before his death.
“Provisionally, this happened on October 11,” the rights group said. “He spent less than a month in the penal colony. The exact cause of death is unknown.”
Shletgauer received a 12-year sentence after being convicted of espionage and facilitating extremist activities.
He was arrested in the crackdown in Belarus that occurred after the disputed 2020 presidential election of Alexander Lukashenko that gave the strongman a sixth term.
In September, Shletgauer joined Viasna\’s list of recognized political prisoners in Belarus.
Belarus, a close ally of Russia, is reported to have approximately 1,300 political prisoners, according to Viasna.
Radio Free Europe reports Shletgauer was born in Slavgorod, Russia, and acquired residency in Belarus in 2018.
Some information for this story came from Agence France-Presse.
By：VOA
Related posts:
Over 100 Myanmar political prisoners have died since coup, group says
Venezuela voids passports of dozens of journalists, activists, rights group says
Dozens of North Korean defectors caught by secret police 'vanish,' rights group says
US bulletin says Iranian hackers targeting political campaigns
World’s largest captive crocodile dies in Australia
Russian forces thwart attempted cross-border assault from Ukraine, official says
Ukraine says Russian attack killed 1, injured dozens in Kharkiv
Rockline Sudhakar, Kannada comic actor, dies of cardiac arrest after collapsing on film set in Bengaluru
Kenzo Takada: Japanese designer dies after catching Covid-19
Lebanese refugee crisis raises political tensions in Iraq and demographic concerns in Kirkuk
Bulgarians’ 7th vote in 3 years unlikely to break political deadlock
After vote, Japan faces new era of political instability