Belarus: Activist charged in protest crackdown
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.An opposition activist appeared in court in Minsk yesterday in the first trial of about 30 people held after a crackdown on protests against President Alexander Lukashenko's re-election.
Vasily Parfenkov, one of several hundred people rounded up by riot police on 19 December, including opposition politicians who ran against Mr Lukashenko, admitted taking part in the rally but denied being involved in mass disorder.
The prosecution asked for Mr Parfenkov to be jailed for six years – two years short of the maximum for the charge of participating in mass unrest.
The US and the European Union have imposed sanctions on Belarus in response to the crackdown, which followed a presidential election that the opposition and international monitors said involved fraud.
They have called on Mr Lukashenko to free those detained. Belarus is an important transit route for Russian energy to Europe, and Moscow sees it as a buffer between Russia and Nato.
Mr Lukashenko, who has ruled with an autocratic style since 1994, has taken advantage of this to win aid and investment. The way in which the court deals with Mr Parfenkov could send a signal either of defiance or reconciliation by Mr Lukashenko, analysts say.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments