Photos of Belarusian opposition figure Babariko have emerged from prison.

The content was published by Belarusian blogger Roman Protasevich. He explained that he brought letters from relatives for Babariko, took his responses, and recorded a video message from the opposition figure to his family.

According to the human rights center "Viasna," Babariko has been cut off from the outside world since February 2023. In April 2023, there were reports that he was urgently hospitalized due to fluid in his lungs. Prior to that, it was reported that he had been beaten and placed in solitary confinement.

Sixty-year-old Viktor Babariko announced his plans to run for president of Belarus in May 2020. He was arrested in June of that same year. Just over a year later, a court sentenced the opposition leader to 14 years in a high-security penal colony on charges of large-scale bribery and money laundering. Babariko does not acknowledge his guilt. Belarusian human rights activists consider him a political prisoner.

According to Viasna, as of January 8, there are 1,258 people in Belarus who remain imprisoned for political reasons. Ahead of the presidential elections scheduled for the end of January in Belarus, long-time leader Alexander Lukashenko pardoned more than two hundred individuals. Meanwhile, the list of political prisoners continues to grow.

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