Belarusian Court Sentences 20 Exiled Political Analysts to Over 10 Years in Prison

A Belarusian court has sentenced 20 political analysts to prison terms of at least 10 years for conspiracy and extremist activities. Convicted in absentia, they reside outside Belarus but risk imprisonment if they return. The sentences are part of a broader crackdown following the disputed 2020 election.

A Belarusian court has handed down prison sentences of at least 10 years each to 20 political analysts, convicting them in absentia of conspiracy to overthrow the government and participating in an extremist group.

Although the analysts currently reside outside Belarus, they face imprisonment should they return to the country, which has been under increasing authoritarian control.

The convictions, announced on Monday, are part of a relentless crackdown that has already seen numerous prominent opposition figures jailed and others forced into exile following the disputed August 2020 election that extended President Alexander Lukashenko's rule to a sixth term.

One notable conviction was Alexander Dabravolski, a senior aide to exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who received an 11 1/2-year sentence. Others sentenced include Tsikhanouskaya's press secretary Anna Kasulina and notable researchers such as Ryhor Astapenia, Yauheni Kryzhanouski, and Katsiaryna Shmatsina.

This wave of repression has also led to the shutdown of numerous rights groups and independent media outlets, including the imprisonment of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski.

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