Belarusian authorities launch a new wave of repression ahead of presidential vote

TALLINN, Estonia — Belarusian authorities have launched a new wave of arrests, seeking to uproot any sign of dissent ahead of January's election in which authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko is seeking a seventh term, rights campaigners said.

The Viasna human rights center said Wednesday that more than 100 people have been arrested across the country since Thursday. The group said that the arrests specifically targeted participants in online chats created by residents of apartment buildings in various Belarusian cities.

During massive demonstrations that were triggered by the 2020 presidential vote seen by the opposition and the West as rigged, such chats were widely used for coordination of protests. Belarusian authorities responded to the demonstrations with a sweeping crackdown in which about 65,000 people were arrested.

Major opposition figures were either imprisoned or fled the country in the crackdown. Human rights activists say 1,300 political prisoners are now detained in Belarus, many of them denied adequate medical care and contact with their families.

Just before the latest wave of arrests, the authorities designated dozens of online chats as part of an alleged ''extremist'' nationwide network. The chats were created by residents of apartment buildings to coordinate their daily needs, such as house maintenance and communal services.

Some of those arrested have been accused of plotting a ''conspiracy to seize power,'' charges that carry a prison sentence of up to 15 years.

Belarusian jails are already overcrowded, with 15-20 inmates packed into cells intended for three prisoners.

''The new massive wave of arrests and searches is a planned action of intimidation ahead of the election,'' said Viasna's representative Pavel Sapelka.

Earlier this week, Belarus' Central Election Commission allowed seven politicians loyal to Lukashenko to start collecting signatures to run against him in the vote set for Jan. 26 in an apparent bid to create a semblance of competition. It has refused to permit two opposition politicians to gather signatures to try to qualify for the race.

Belarus' opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who is in exile after challenging Lukashenko in the 2020 presidential election, urged the West to respond to the recent arrests.

''The scale of the latest wave of repression reflects the atmosphere of terror for the sham presidential vote,'' said Tsikhanouskaya, who has urged Belarusians to vote against all candidates.