Belarus Opposition Figure Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison
[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] Sergei Tikhanovsky, who declared his candidacy for the presidential election last year in opposition to the dictatorship and was arrested two days later, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison.
According to CNN on the 14th (local time), a Belarusian court sentenced opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya's husband, Sergei Tikhanovsky, to 18 years in prison on charges of organizing large-scale riots and inciting social hostility.
Sergei Tikhanovsky, a YouTuber known for his anti-establishment activities, was arrested on charges of disturbing social order shortly after declaring his candidacy for the presidential election in May last year.
Afterward, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya ran in the election on behalf of her husband and gained significant support but lost to President Alexander Lukashenko, who has been in power for 26 years.
Protests erupted amid allegations of election fraud, leading to political turmoil, but President Lukashenko, who officially took office after suppressing the protests by force, continues his term backed by Russia's support.
Feeling threatened during this process, Tikhanovskaya fled to Lithuania and is leading the opposition resistance movement.
Regarding this verdict, Tikhanovskaya criticized on her Twitter account, saying, "They are being oppressed because they want to live in a free Belarus," and "The dictator publicly takes revenge on his strongest opponents."
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned Tikhanovsky's guilty verdict in a statement, calling it "further evidence that Belarus disregards not only the human rights and fundamental freedoms of its citizens but also its international obligations."
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This summer, Tikhanovskaya visited Washington in July at the invitation of the U.S. State Department, meeting with President Joe Biden, Victoria Nuland, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, and Jake Sullivan, White House National Security Advisor, urging economic sanctions against the Lukashenko regime.
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