Belarusian culturologist Aksana Zaretskaya and businessman Bahdan Karavets were sentenced in Minsk on March 14 to 1 1/2 and two years in prison, respectively, on charges of "taking part in activities that blatantly disrupt social order." The charges stem from the defendants' participation in nationwide protests that followed a disputed presidential election in August 2020 that handed a sixth term in office to authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka. Many Belarusian activists, independent journalists, and rights defenders have been handed prison terms since the disputed poll that opposition and Western governments have said was rigged. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Belarus Service, click here.
