Belarus NGOs condemn government crackdown after ‘black week’ of raids

Human rights groups say latest series of arrests and searches are part of a total purge on civil society'

The government of Belarus has launched a broad crackdown on civil society, launching raids and arrests on dozens of organisations in what has been described as a black week" for the country's NGOs.

The raids, which began last week, have touched all corners of civil society, from groups that campaign for political prisoners' rights to those that crowdfund medical care and have helped medics in the fight against coronavirus.