Authorities in Minsk have sold a two-bedroom apartment belonging to opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya and her husband, jailed blogger and former would-be presidential candidate, Syarhey Tsikhanouski.
The 66-square-meter apartment in the Belarusian capital was sold on July 26 to an unspecified winner of an auction for 203, 687 rubles (around $80,740). The apartment, which was officially impounded by the state in September, was sold after two previous auctions were canceled.
Tsikhanouski was sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2021 along with several other men -- RFE/RL journalist Ihar Losik, former presidential candidate Mikalay Statkevich and opposition activists Uladzimer Tsyhanovich, Artsyom Sakau, and Dzmitry Papou -- all of whom were also handed lengthy prison terms.
The charges against them included fomenting mass unrest, inciting social hatred, impeding the activities of the Central Election Commission, and organizing activities that disrupt social order. The defendants and their supporters rejected the charges as politically motivated.
In February, a court handed an additional 18 months in prison to Tsikhanouski after finding him guilty of "blatantly violating a penitentiary’s inner regulations."
A popular video blogger, Tsikhanouski announced his presidential candidacy in 2020, challenging Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who was running for re-election. Tsikhanouski was disqualified and arrested before the vote.
Following Tsikhanouski's arrest, his wife announced her own presidential candidacy, mobilizing the opposition. Lukashenka's landslide victory has not been recognized by the opposition and Western countries, who say he had the results rigged in his favor. They believe the rightful winner of the election was Tsikhanouskaya.
A wave of protests followed Lukashenka's victory claim, and tens of thousands of people were detained while several were killed. Independent media, human rights organizations and opposition groups, have been targeted as well.
Tsikhanouskaya has been living in Lithuania since leaving Belarus, due to concerns about her safety and that of the couple's two children.