Five Belarusian Activists Jailed In Continuing Crackdown On Dissent

The Brest regional court in Belarus said on September 17 that five people were handed prison terms a day earlier over taking part in the 2020 mass rallies protesting the official results of a presidential vote that declared authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka the winner. Political prisoner Henadz Vasilyuk, who is serving an 18-month prison term he was handed in February over "likes" on social networks, was sentenced to two years in prison. His wife, Hanna, was sentenced to one year in prison, while three others -- Dzyanis Andrashchuk, Mikalay Pratasevich, and Raman Parfyonau -- were each handed 18-month prison terms. All were found guilty of "organizing actions that blatantly disrupt social order." To read the original story by RFE/RL's Belarus Service, click here.