Security Forces Conducting Mass Raids Among Ex-Political Prisoners

They also come to the relatives of prisoners of conscience.

In the morning, January 23, it became known about mass raids of the KGB in different cities of Belarus. The editors of "Zerkalo" know about at least two such cases.

According to one of the sources, this morning the law enforcers came to his acquaintance's house. The woman is the wife of a political prisoner. Her phone is not available. The interlocutor does not know what agency the uninvited guests represent. According to him, the "visit" was connected with that the woman was a member of a closed chat room, where relatives of political prisoners and former political prisoners communicate (we do not specify the name of the chat room for security reasons).

"There they discuss everyday issues, what to put in the care package, what kind of clothes are allowed," the interlocutor says briefly. "I was told that they came to many from this chat room. They were especially interested in those who, apparently, had written about BYSOL assistance in the chat room".

The relatives of another political prisoner also informed the editorial office about a similar situation. This morning law enforcers also came to the man's parents. They were asking about "help from abroad". The interlocutor does not know what exactly this help is. It is not known whether these people were members of the same chat room as the source's acquaintance.