MOSCOW - Belarusian political prisoner Ales Pushkin has died aged 57, his wife said on Tuesday, with the circumstances of his death still uncertain.

The country’s prisons have been singled out for alleged mistreatment of political prisoners.

Since his disputed re-election triggered protests in 2020, Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko has intensified the repression of his critics, jailing or forcing them into exile.

“Ales died today in intensive care under unclear circumstances,” Pushkin’s wife Yanina told AFP.

The well-known Belarusian artist was sentenced in March 2022 to five years in jail for desecrating state symbols and inciting hatred, independent rights group Viasna said.

The charges are frequently used by authorities to silence dissent.

“Ales Pushkin was the embodiment of the indomitable spirit of the Belarusian people,” opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, now abroad, wrote on Twitter.

She posted a photo of the artist waving a white and red flag – one of the symbols of the opposition protests – in front of a wall of riot police.

“Ales used his art to fight for freedom and build a new Belarus without tyranny,” Ms Tikhanovskaya said.

“Please, anyone who knows anything about Ales’ death - pass the information on to his wife, independent media or human rights activists,” she said on Telegram.

Mr Lukashenko’s regime, reclusive for years, has become even more isolated after brutally suppressing protests and allowing Russia to use Belarusian territory to launch its offensive against Ukraine.

Viasna recorded almost 1,500 political prisoners in the country, including Ms Tikhanovskaya’s fellow opposition figurehead, Maria Kolesnikova.

Last week, her sister said Kolesnikova, who spent a few days in intensive care last winter, has not given any news to her family since February. AFP