Belarusian blogger Mikalay Klimovich, who was imprisoned for posting an online caricature of the country’s authoritarian ruler, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, has died in a penal colony in the Vitebsk region, the Minsk-based Vyasna (Spring) human rights center reported on May 7. Klimovich had suffered a stroke and had heart surgery before being sentenced to one year in prison on February 28. Lukashenka’s regime instituted a crackdown on dissent following a disputed presidential election in August 2020 that handed him a sixth term in office. Opposition leaders and Western governments have said the poll was rigged. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Belarus Service, click here.
Belarusian Opposition Blogger Klimovich Dies In Prison, Says Rights Group
