Belarusian Businessman Gets Five Years In Prison Over Critical Facebook Posts

A Belarusian court on August 21 sentenced well-known businessman Pyotr Staratsitarau to five years in prison over his posts on Facebook that were critical of the government of authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka. The Homel regional court convicted the 65-year-old businessman of libel, insulting Lukashenka, inciting hatred, and discrediting Belarus. Staratsitarau was arrested in February. Belarus has seen a wave of arrests of those critical of Lukashenka since he was declared the winner of a disputed 2020 presidential election. The opposition and many Western governments say the vote was rigged. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Belarus Service, click here.