Picture Credit: Twitter
Former Olympic swimmer Aliaksandra Herasimenia and political activist Alexander Opeykin have been sentenced to 12 years in prison in absentia. The pair were charged with sanctions as their actions aimed at harming the national security of Belarus. Both Herasimenia and Opeykin have received notoriety for their role in protesting Alexander Lukashenko's authoritarian regime.
As per the state news BelTA agency, Herasimenia and Opeykin were seen committing actions which apparently harmed the country’s national security. BelTA agency’s report also included a statement about the arrests made by the government and how these actions have grave consequences.
The state news BelTA agency’s report on Monday, said, "They were found guilty of public calls to commit actions aimed at causing harm to the national security of Belarus, including the use of restrictive measures (sanctions) against Belarus, individuals and legal entities of the republic. Such actions entailed grave consequences."
Belarusian opposition leader-in-exile Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya also called out the court’s ruling "Shameful!" on Twitter. "This is how the regime tries to punish its opponents in exile. The regime can't get to them, but their property in Belarus was seized, including a car & an apartment," she said.
Herasimenia is a three-time Olympic medallist and was among the top sportspeople who left Belarus after the government started arresting those who protested against the fraudulent re-election of Alexander Lukashenko in August 2020. After the disputed re-election, over 35,000 people were arrested during the crackdown on the protests, and thousands were assaulted by police.
As per the US embassy, over 1,300 political prisoners are held in Belarus. Lukashenko has been a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and has also allowed Russia to launch its attacks on Ukraine from Belarusian territory.