Belarus activist stabs himself in neck with pen during trial
- Dramatic scenes in Minsk courtroom as activist Stepan Latypov reportedly attempts to commit suicide
- He had been in jail since September, when he was arrested in protests against Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko
A Belarusian political activist stabbed himself in the neck on the first day of his trial 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.
Viasna said he appeared in court with bruises and that after his father was questioned Latypov climbed on a bench and stabbed himself in the neck with what appeared to be a pen.
