A court in Belarus sentenced exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya to 15 years in a penal colony as the nation’s authorities continue to crack down on opposition at home and abroad.
(Bloomberg) — A court in Belarus sentenced exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya to 15 years in a penal colony as the nation’s authorities continue to crack down on opposition at home and abroad.
Another opposition politician, former diplomat and culture minister Pavel Latushka, was also sentenced in absentia to 18 years, the state-owned Belta news agency reported Monday. They both were found guilty on charges that included plotting to overthrow the government and calling for sanctions against Belarus.
Tsikhanouskaya rallied thousands of people in support when she ran in the 2020 presidential elections instead of her detained husband Siarhei Tsikhanouski, who is now serving an 18-year term in Belarus. She left the country shortly after the Aug. 9 vote, whose official outcome wasn’t recognized by the US and the European Union.
The elections ended in incumbent Alexander Lukashenko, in power since 1994, claiming another term and triggering unprecedented protests. Ensuing repression by the authorities resulted in thousands of arrests and people fleeing the country, which was later used by Russian President Vladimir Putin as a launchpad for his invasion of Ukraine.
European Parliament Vice President Nicola Beer called the trial “a farce” and Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis condemned the sentence.
Tsikhanouskaya dismissed today’s verdict of the Minsk court and vowed to continue working toward reinstating democracy in Belarus, she said in a statement on her Telegram channel.
(Updates with comments from EU, Lithuania in fifth paragraph.)
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