Closed trial begins for Belarus opposition leader's husband
A closed trial for the husband of Belarus' opposition leader has begun at a jail in the city of Gomel
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.A closed trial for the husband of Belarus’ opposition leader began Thursday at a jail in the city of Gomel. Siarhei Tsikhanouski faces a sentence of up to 15 years on charges that include organizing mass unrest and inciting hatred.
Tsikhanouski, a prominent video blogger and activist, aimed to run against authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko in the August 2020 election. He was widely known for the anti-Lukashenko slogan “Kill the cockroach.” He was arrested two days after he declared his candidacy that May.
His wife, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya ran in his stead. She fled the country to Lithuania a day after the election as police cracked down on post-election protests.
Official results said Lukashenko won a sixth term in office, continuing his repressive rule that began in 1994, but protesters said the results were fradulent. Large protests continued for months and police responded harshly, detaining 30,000 people and beating many of them.
State media showed a tired-looking Tsikhanouski being led into the closed hearing, along with other defendants who include Mikola Statkevich, who ran against Lukashenko in 2010 and was sentenced to six years in prison after demonstrations broke out following that election. Statkevich was arrested again in May 2020.
In a video message on Thursday, Tsikhanouskaya said her husband “remains the same proud and unshakable person” despite more than a year in detention.
___
Follow all AP developments in Belarus at https://apnews.com/hub/Belarus.