Belarus Activist Stabs Himself In Neck In Court: Rights Group

Stepan Latypov was detained in September and went on trial in the capital Minsk on Tuesday on multiple charges including creating protest symbols and resisting law enforcement.

A Belarusian political activist stabbed himself in the neck on the first day of his trial Tuesday and was rushed to hospital, a rights group said. Viasna, an independent rights group monitoring the trial of Stepan Latypov, said it believed the activist had tried to commit suicide following pressure in detention. Thousands of opposition activists and protesters have been arrested and gone on trial in a harsh crackdown on anti-government demonstrations that erupted last year. Latypov, 41, was detained in September and went on trial in the capital Minsk on Tuesday on multiple charges including creating protest symbols and resisting law enforcement.