Cape Argus E-dition

Belarus activist found hanged

THE United Nations has called on Ukrainian authorities to conduct a thorough investigation after a missing Belarusian activist was found hanged in a park in Kiev.

The UN human rights office said the intimidation of civil society in Belarus had to stop, but stressed it was not drawing a direct connection between the death of Vitaly Shishov and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s crackdown on dissent.

“This adds another level to our concerns about Belarus,” spokesperson Marta Hurtadosaid in Geneva.

Shishov, 26, headed the Belarusian House in Ukraine, an NGO helping his compatriots flee repression in Belarus. The missing activist was found hanged in a park in the Ukrainian capital, police said, adding they opened a murder probe.

Lukashenko has been clamping down on dissent since mass protests erupted over last year’s elections, deemed unfair by the West.

WORLD

en-za

2021-08-04T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-08-04T07:00:00.0000000Z

http://capeargus.pressreader.com/article/281724092597711

African News Agency