A Belarusian court on December 21 sentenced activist Artsyom Zabelyankou, recognized by rights watchdogs as a political prisoner, to two years in prison amid an ongoing crackdown on dissent. A court in Minsk found Zabelyankou guilty of taking part in activities that disrupt social order and the obstruction of the work of state media outlets at mass protests against the official results of an August 2020 presidential election that handed a sixth term to the country's authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka. Opposition groups say the vote was rigged. To read the original story from RFE/RL's Belarus Service, click here.
Belarusian Political Prisoner Handed Two-Year Prison Term In Minsk
Belarus's authoritarian leader, Alyaksandr Lukashenka (file photo)