Viktor Babaryko Seen After 630 Days in Prison Ahead of Belarus Election

Belarusian opposition figure Viktor Babaryko, who was jailed in 2020 while attempting to challenge President Alexander Lukashenko in the presidential election, has been seen for the first time in over 630 days. Babaryko, a former banker, was arrested after attempting to run for president and has been held incommunicado since his detention, with no contact or information shared with his supporters, leaving them in a state of uncertainty.

Recently, a video surfaced showing Babaryko sending greetings to his family, accompanied by three photographs, one of which shows him writing a letter. In the video, Babaryko, dressed in black prison overalls, appears visibly thinner. His political team, who had not heard from him for months, expressed relief at seeing these images, with some calling it a "torturous" period without contact.

Viktor Babaryko appears significantly thinner since his detention.

Other political prisoners, such as Maria Kolesnikova, who was also part of Babaryko’s 2020 campaign, have also been held in similar conditions, with sporadic news emerging from prison visits. Images of Kolesnikova were released in November when her father was permitted a visit after a long absence.

Roman Protasevich, a co-founder of the Telegram channel Nexta and a former activist who was arrested in 2021, published Babaryko's images online. Protasevich, who now cooperates with the Belarusian authorities after his release, commented that Babaryko looked well and appeared cheerful during their interaction.

The release of these photos comes shortly before the upcoming Belarusian presidential election on January 26, where no legitimate opposition candidates are allowed to run. There are reports that political prisoners may be pressured into requesting a pardon to gain their release in time for the vote, a move that would further consolidate Lukashenko’s grip on power. Human rights groups estimate that there are currently 1,258 political prisoners in Belarus, and many prominent figures, including Sergei Tikhanovsky, remain unaccounted for.

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, a key opposition leader now in exile and the wife of the imprisoned Tikhanovsky, condemned the upcoming election, calling it a "sham" orchestrated to legitimize Lukashenko's authoritarian rule.