A court in Belarus sentenced today in absentia 20 political analysts to at least 10 years in prison each for conspiracy to overthrow the government and participation in extremist groups.
All the analysts live outside Belarus, but could be arrested upon their return to what the Associated Press reports is an authoritarian state.
The verdicts and sentences announced today follow a "ruthless crackdown by the authorities" following mass demonstrations in the country over the August 2020 elections, which have seen many prominent opposition figures jailed while some have been forced to leave Belarus.
The reckoning with political dissidents began after a protest by which the opposition wanted to dispute the results of the elections in which the current president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, won for the sixth time.
Aleksandar Dabravolski, the chief aide of opposition leader Svetlana Tihanovska, who had to leave the country, was sentenced to 11 and a half years in prison. The sentences for the other defendants, including the leader's press secretary Ana Kasulina, ranged from 10 to 11 years.
Dozens of human rights groups and independent media have been closed since the crackdown began. Among those previously imprisoned are Aleš Bjaljatski, founder of the human rights group "Vesna" (Spring) and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.
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