Minsk, her family said Thursday, October 21, amid growing concern about the safety of dissidents and religious minorities. 44-year old Veronika Cherkasova had worked for independent media outlets for the past 15 years, and wrote most recently for the newspaper Solidarnost, which she joined in May last year.
Cherkasova’s stepfather, Vladimir Melezhko, reportedly discovered her body Wednesday night after she didn’t show up for work or answer the phone. He said she had many stab wounds around the throat.
The evidence suggested "she had opened the door to her killer," Melezhko was quoted as saying in media.
Although the motives were of the murder were not yet clear and authorities announced an investigation, human rights groups had expressed concern about a perceived fresh crackdown on dissidents and religious minorities following this weekend’s elections.
AUTOCRATIC PRESIDENT
The government has said that roughly eight out of ten voters backed a constitutional amendment allowing autocratic President Lukashenko to seek a third term in office and no opposition candidates were elected to parliament. "The result of both votes are very strongly disputed inside and outside Belarus," said Forum 18 News Service (F18News) of human rights group Forum 18.
In the last few days forty-six opposition members opposing the way the ballot was conducted have been arrested in Minsk for holding "an unsanctioned demonstration", and face a maximum penalty of 10 days in jail, Belarus Interior Minister Vladimir Naumov told the Russian Interfax news agency.
At least one dissident, Anatoly Lebedko, leader of the United Civil Party, was hospitalize after he was arrested during a demonstration near the presidential palace in Minsk’s central square and apparently beaten by police.
GROWING PRESSURE
Human rights groups also fear a growing pressure on non-Orthodox churches and other religious groups. Several churches are known to have been raided this year and some pastors and individual Christians have been beaten and detained for holding unsanctioned prayer meetings.
Ahead of the ballot, at least one Baptist evangelist Andrei Fokin was beaten, Baptist sources said, although police have denied the charges, the Forum 18 News Service of human rigths watchdog Forum 18 reported.
Lukashenko’s proclaimed victory was expected to boost political efforts to implement what Christian groups describe as one of the most "strictest" religious laws in Europe, including the obligation to gain re-registration or lose risking church properties.
However several evangelical churches and congregations have refused to register on principle grounds, while other denominations have not been able to receive official permission for gatherings.
