Story perspectives

Sick Journalist Kiryl Pazniak and Daughter Detained in Belarus Crackdown

5/23/2026

Summary

Story summary

Kiryl Pazniak's deteriorating health, a 49-year-old detained on extremism charges since September, has become a focal point for criticism of Belarus's treatment of journalists.
Human-rights defenders have designated his 20-year-old daughter, arrested on extremism charges, and him as political prisoners.
The crackdown persists despite the release of hundreds after U.S. President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025, with 21 journalists imprisoned and 841 political prisoners nationwide.

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Story summary

Kiryl Pazniak's deteriorating health, a 49-year-old detained on extremism charges since September, has become a focal point for criticism of Belarus's treatment of journalists.
Human-rights defenders have designated his 20-year-old daughter, arrested on extremism charges, and him as political prisoners.
The crackdown persists despite the release of hundreds after U.S. President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025, with 21 journalists imprisoned and 841 political prisoners nationwide.