Belarusian journalist falls dangerously ill in prison, relatives say, urging for him to be released

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — An imprisoned Belarusian journalist has fallen seriously ill, relatives say, and his family and media rights advocates urged authorities on Friday to quickly release him from custody to save his life.

Kiryl Pazniak, 49, has been in custody since his arrest in September on extremism charges, accusations widely used by authorities to stifle critical voices. Pazniak, who hosted a popular show on YouTube, faces a prison sentence of up to seven years if convicted.

Pazniak's 20-year-old daughter also has been arrested on extremism charges. Both have been named political prisoners by human rights defenders.

Pazniak's ex-wife Elena said that he was suffering from pneumonia and COVID-19, and was placed earlier this month in a prison hospital in grave condition. She argued that he hadn't been given proper medical treatment and his life was in jeopardy.

Belarusian authorities didn’t immediately comment on Pazniak’s condition or accusations that he wasn’t being provided with adequate medical care.

“Freedom of speech in Belarus has a specific price, and today 21 journalists behind bars, including Pazniak, are paying for it with their health and ruined lives,” said Andrei Bastunets, head of the Belarusian Association of Journalists. “Belarus has already become a black hole of Europe and leads the continent in the number of arrested journalists.”

Belarus' authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko, has governed the nation of 9.5 million with an iron fist for more than three decades, and the country has been sanctioned repeatedly by Western nations — both for its crackdown on human rights and for allowing Moscow to use its territory in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, 2022.

Lukashenko's government was challenged after a 2020 presidential election, when hundreds of thousands took to the streets to protest a vote they viewed as rigged. In an ensuing crackdown, tens of thousands were detained, with many beaten by police. Prominent opposition figures fled the country or were imprisoned.

Since U.S. President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, Lukashenko has released hundreds of political prisoners as part of American-brokered deals that lifted some U.S. sanctions, part of the isolated leader’s efforts to improve ties with the West.

Human rights groups say, however, that Belarusian authorities have continued their crackdown on dissent. Belarus still has 841 political prisoners, according to the Viasna human rights center.