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Belarus’ exiled opposition leader put on trial on treason charges

Belarus put exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on trial in absentia on treason charges on Tuesday, in what the critic of veteran leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka said would be a “farce and a show”.

Tsikhanouskaya, 40, fled Belarus after running against Lukashenka in the 2020 presidential election which was followed by mass protests over alleged electoral fraud. She faces a possible jail term of up to 15 years.

Following a crackdown on protesters, she became the head of the opposition-in-exile and denounced the election after the incumbent Belarusian dictator, in power since 1994, declared himself the winner.

The trial against me starts today in Minsk. I am charged with 10+ crimes. Does it change anything for me? Nothing. It is just the revenge of a pathetic dictator who lost power & tries to take revenge on all who stood up for freedom. Belarus needs real justice, not a puppet show. pic.twitter.com/6K5Au4opBU

— Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya (@Tsihanouskaya) January 17, 2023
Tsikhanouskaya, who now lives in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, told Reuters in the Swiss resort of Davos that she did not expect the trial to be fair.

“In Belarus there are no honest trials. We live in absolute lawlessness in our country so tomorrow’s trial will be a farce and a show but not real justice,” she said, adding that she had asked for the necessary documents from the court-appointed lawyer, but had not received anything.

The BelTa state news agency said the trial had started on Tuesday morning. Tsikhanouskaya and several others were to be tried on charges of treason and attempting to seize power, the court said before the trial.

A day before the trial was due to begin, Belarus brought new criminal charges against Tsikhanouskaya’s jailed husband, a 44-year-old video blogger, who was arrested in 2020 while attempting to run for office against Lukashenka himself.

His arrest prompted Tsikhanouskaya to run for office in his place despite having no public profile, and she was allowed onto the ballot.

Rights activists estimate about 1,500 people are in jail in Belarus on politically motivated charges. Lukashenka, a close ally of Russia who has been in power since 1994, is a pariah in the West and a close ally of Russia.

Belarus also put rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Byalyatski, and two others, on trial this month on charges of financing protests and smuggling money. They could face from seven to 12 years in jail on charges of financing protests and smuggling money.

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