A court in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, sentenced opposition politician Valer Tsapkala on April 7 to 17 years in prison in absentia on charges of violating national security, financing terrorism, and slandering longtime leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka. Tsapkala tried to run against Lukashenka in the country’s disputed 2020 presidential election, but was refused registration. He and his family fled the country in July 2020 and are now in Latvia. Lukashenka’s declared victory in the election, which was widely seen as rigged, set off massive protests that were met by an often-brutal crackdown.
Belarusian Oppositionist Tsapkala Handed Long Prison Term In Absentia
Belarusian oppositionist Valer Tsapkala (file photo)