The Viasna Human Rights Centre, one of the oldest human rights groups in Belarus, reported on Friday that political prisoner Dmitriy Schlethauer died on October 11, less than one month after being transferred to the penal colony at Mogilev in the east of the country. The cause of death is unknown.

According to Viasna, a trial took place in Brest, where Schlethauer was convicted for espionage and facilitating extremist activities under Article 358 and Part 1 of Article 361-4 of the Criminal Code of Belarus respectively. The court sentenced Schlethauer to 12 years’ imprisonment at first instance. Schlethauer’s appeal was heard and dismissed on August 30, behind closed doors.

According to exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the death of Schlethauer marks the seventh instance of a political prisoner dying in detention since the current wave of repression began in 2020. Currently, at least two other political prisoners charged with espionage are in detention, including Polish citizen Tomasz Bjaroza and Ukrainian national Andrei Szmai. Tsikhanouskaya has called for urgent international action to “prevent more deaths.”

Ales Bialiatski, the founder of Viasna and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, is also currently imprisoned for allegedly financing the 2020 protests and smuggling cash to an organized group.

The report comes amidst deteriorating human rights conditions in Belarus. Since the presidential election in 2020, which sparked mass protests in Belarus, more than 1,000 demonstrators have been imprisoned. The UN found a potential crime against humanity of persecution in Belarus during and after the election. Human rights organizations have warned about systemic repression of activists and human rights lawyers, condemning the crackdown on free speech and judicial independence.

Under Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), no one shall be subject to arbitrary arrest or detention. Under Article 10, all persons deprived of their liberty shall be treated with humanity and with respect for the inherent dignity of the human person. Belarus withdrew from the First Optional Protocol of the ICCPR in 2022, effectively depriving victims of human rights violations of the right to bring their claims before the Human Rights Committee.