A Belarusian court has sentenced exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya to 15 years in prison on various charges, including treason, writes Politico.
Tsikhanouskaya, who currently lives in Vilnius, was found guilty of treason, inciting hatred, trying to seize power, creating an «extremist» group, and harming national security. Another exiled opposition leader, Pavel Latushka, was sentenced to 18 years in prison on Monday, the 6th of March, at the same court hearing.
In a statement issued after the verdict was made public,
Tsikhanouskaya said that she and other supporters of a democratic Belarus would continue to do everything to free political prisoners and lead the country to democratic change.
Tsikhanouskaya became an opposition presidential candidate in 2020 after her husband Sergei and other well-known opposition figures were arrested. In 2021, Tsikhanouskaya’s husband was sentenced to 18 years in prison for inciting hatred and organizing riots.
Latushka, who currently lives in Poland, wrote on Twitter that he will continue to fight.
Lukashenko’s court today sentenced me to 18 years in a high-security prison. #Lukashenko, I will not stop.President-Elect @Tsihanouskaya was sentenced to 15 years. Sviatlana, together with our fellow Belarusians we will continue to fight. pic.twitter.com/eW90qyIS3g
— Pavel Latushka (@PavelLatushka) March 6, 2023
According to information provided by Belarusian human rights watchdogs, there are a total of almost 1,500 political prisoners in prison.
Read also: Belarus has started the trial of Tsikhanouskaya