The wife of an arrested presidential candidate in Belarus says authorities are not letting her into the jail to see how badly he was beaten up.
Vladimir Neklyayev was one of the top challengers to authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko in Sunday’s election. He was beaten up that night as he led supporters to a demonstration protesting alleged election fraud.
Mr. Lukashenko tallied nearly 80 percent of the votes but international monitors said the election was deeply flawed.
Olga Neklyayeva told The Associated Press on Thursday that she thinks authorities are blocking access to the jail because “they are afraid to show the horror they committed.”
Mr. Neklyayev’s regular lawyer also has been denied access but a court-appointed attorney, Nelly Podsadnaya, said on Thursday that the candidate “appears normal.”
