In Belarus, hundreds of people who showed solidarity with Ukraine have been arrested in a sweeping crackdown by President Alexander Lukashenko, according to a report.

At least 1,671 Belarusians were arrested for their anti-war stance or for expressing solidarity with Ukraine, and at least 200 of them were sentenced to prison terms ranging from one to 25 years during the war , according to a report from the Ministry of Defense. Viasna Human Rights Center.

In addition to arrests, convictions and prison sentences, the report claims people were tortured, detained in inhumane conditions and fined, with some subjected to forced psychiatric treatment.

For context: Belarus shares a 670-mile border with Ukraine and the two countries have long-standing cultural and historical ties.

Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus for more than 30 years, relies on subsidies and support from Moscow and is a close ally of Vladimir Putin.

He authorized the Kremlin to use his country’s territory to invade Ukraine in February 2022, as well as to deploy some of Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.

Belarusian authorities have stepped up their crackdown on dissent in the run-up to January’s presidential election, in which Lukashenko is seeking a seventh term.