(Reuters) - A Belarusian prisoner detained in a crackdown on protests tried to cut his own throat during a court hearing on Tuesday after being told his family and neighbours faced prosecution if he did not plead guilty, media, activists and a witness said. Latypov's father Sergei had appeared as a witness in court on Tuesday, according to Belarusian human rights group Viasna-96 and Irina, a friend of Latypov. Latypov addressed his father in court, saying he had been held in a torture cell for 51 days, and warned his father to prepare for a similar fate. Stepan then "took something white in his teeth, and started literally to cut his throat. "Belarusian activist, political prisoner Stsiapan Latypau cut his throat in the courtroom today," exiled opposition figure Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya wrote on Twitter, using a different spelling of Latypov's name.

Source: The Star June 01, 2021 18:09 UTC