Minsk [Belarus], August 15: Thirteen prominent cultural figures have spoken out for the disappeared political prisoners in Belarus. In an open letter submitted to DPA on Monday, they accused Belarus' authoritarian ruler Alexander Lukashenko of abducting and torturing the prisoners.
The signatories include such greats of international literature as Salman Rushdie, Herta Müller, Margaret Atwood and ElfriedeJelinek, as well as musicians Igor Levit and Wolf Biermann, and seven other artists.
The last presidential election in Belarus in August 2020 sparked massive protests against Lukashenko's manipulation of the results.
The 66-year-old had himself confirmed for a sixth term with 80.1 percent of the vote, which was largely not recognized internationally.
The opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who fled into exile, has since been considered the true winner. She stood for election in place of her husband, the imprisoned politician Sergei Tikhanovsky. According to the letter's signatories, no one knows where Tikhanovsky is at present or even whether he is still alive. (DPA)
Source: Qatar Tribune
