Belarus Intensifies Crackdown with Mass Arrests and Home Raids

Authorities target relatives of political prisoners and those involved in aid project, as international condemnation grows.

Belarusian authorities have intensified their crackdown on dissent, with the Viasna human rights center reporting at least 159 people targeted by home raids and arrests across multiple cities.
The detainees include relatives of jailed dissidents, journalists, and others, marking a significant increase in arrests in recent months.
Many of those arrested were reportedly involved with the INeedHelpBY project, which provides assistance to political prisoners and others affected by the repressions.
Belarusian authorities have also reportedly installed spyware on the phones of those detained and their relatives, allowing them to monitor closed chats of activists.
International condemnation of the arrests has been widespread, with opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya expressing shock and the European Union's top diplomat condemning the new wave of arrests.