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| Belarusian opponents, Attorney Maxim Znak and Maria Kolesnikova |
MINSK, Sept 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A Belarusian court sentenced two prominent opposition activists to long prison terms, demonstrating that the Minsk government continues its harassment of political dissidents.
Maria Kolesnikova, head of the Coordinating Council, a body of opposition to the authorities, who had been imprisoned since September last year, was sentenced Monday to 11 years in prison.
A court in Minsk found Kolesnikova guilty of conspiratorial actions against power through the creation of an “extremist organization” and of having called for actions against the security of the state.
Attorney Maxim Znak, also a member of the Coordinating Council, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the same crimes.
Kolesnikova took part in the demonstrations and protests that took place in the country after the August 2020 elections and resisted the authorities’ attempts to force her into exile.
At the time, the security forces took her to the border area, but she tore her passport, refusing to be expelled, and was arrested immediately.
The European Union denounced the verdict, while Britain’s foreign minister called it an assault on defenders of democracy.
“The EU deplores the continuous blatant disrespect by the Minsk regime of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the people of Belarus,” the EU’s spokesperson said in a statement.
The United States condemned the “politically motivated conviction and shameful sentencing” of the two and called the charges against them bogus, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
“These sentencings are further evidence of the regime’s total disregard for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the people of Belarus,” Blinken said in a statement.
Poland condemned the sentencing as a crushing of human rights intended to intimidate the people of Belarus. “This repression should not go unanswered,” Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Przydacz said on Twitter. — NNN-AGENCIES
