The number of political prisoners in Belarus has exceeded 1,100, the unregistered Belarusian human rights center Viasna said on Tuesday.

"There are ten new political prisoners in Belarus," Viasna said.

The human rights center estimated the number of political prisoners in Belarus at 1,101 on March 22.

There has been an increase in the number of instances of people being convicted and sentenced in Belarus on defamation charges, on charges of insulting the state symbols of Belarus and for "other activities related to the lawful exercise of people's right to freedom of opinion," Viasna said.