A Belarusian activist has been handed a lengthy prison term for his participation in a wave of protests against the results of a presidential election in August 2020 that handed authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka a landslide victory, despite claims by opposition leaders that the vote was rigged.
The Minsk-based Vyasna human rights center said on June 21 that the Mahilyou regional court in the country's east had sentenced Yauhen Lyulkovich to eight years in prison after finding him guilty of inciting hatred and disrupting public order.
SEE ALSO: Belarusian Activist Sentenced To 18 Months For 'Insulting Lukashenka'The 38-year-old activist was arrested in September 2021. The charges against him stemmed from his participation in unsanctioned mass rallies against the official results of the election.
Investigators also accused Lyulkovich of using the media and the Telegram social media network to "incite social hatred."
Belarusian human rights organizations have recognized Lyulkovich as a political prisoner.
Lyulkovich is one of dozens in Belarus who have faced trials after authorities brutally suppressed dissent in any form after the disputed presidential election.
SEE ALSO: Belarusian Pensioner Sentenced To 42 Months In Prison For Criticizing LukashenkaRights activists and opposition politicians say the poll was rigged to extend Lukashenka's rule. Thousands have been detained during countrywide protests, and there have been credible reports of torture and ill-treatment by security forces. Several people have died during the crackdown.
Many of Belarus's opposition leaders have been arrested or forced to leave the country, while Lukashenka has refused to negotiate with the opposition.
The United States, the European Union, and several other countries have refused to acknowledge Lukashenka as the winner of the vote and imposed several rounds of sanctions on him and his regime, citing election fraud and the police crackdown.