UN human rights experts ask Belarusian authorities to help a political prisoner dying of cancer

By YURAS KARMANAU
Associated Press

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — U.N. human rights experts have appealed to Belarusian authorities to help a political prisoner who has been diagnosed with an advanced form of cancer. The experts expressed the “utmost concern” about the denial of medical assistance to Pavel Kuchynski, 29, who was detained in 2022 and sentenced to four years and nine months in prison on charges on insulting the president and threatening to use violence. Belarusian authorities have cracked down harshly on any form of dissent and have locked up over 1,400 activists, according to human rights groups. Five have died in prison.