The Prosecutor-General's Office of Belarus has announced the sentencing of 20 people associated with the "extremist formation of Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya's analysts."
Among those sentenced is Yury Drakakhrust, a journalist and analyst for RFE/RL.
Most of the those accused in the case are independent political analysts, sociologists, and economists.
The list also includes several employees of Tsikhanouskaya's office, which the Belarusian opposition leader set up in Vilnius after leaving the country in the wake of a crackdown on dissent that followed the 2020 presidential election.
The Crisis In Belarus
Read our coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues his brutal crackdown on NGOs, activists, and independent media following the August 2020 presidential election.
The Investigative Committee launched a "special investigation" into the activities of the 20 individuals -- all of them living outside the country -- in January for providing comments to independent media in Belarus.
The Minsk Regional Court found the defendants guilty on multiple charges, including conspiracy to seize power and promoting extremism.
The Investigative Committee accused all 20 of taking an active part in the development and implementation of "the concept of destructive activities aimed at harming the national security of the Republic of Belarus, and also contributed to the incitement of social enmity and strife in society."
The sentences range from 10 to 11 years in prison. Many of the defendants were also handed excessive fines amounting to the equivalent of thousands of dollars.
The sentences can be appealed, the Prosecutor-General's Office said.
Anna Krasulina, Tsikhanouskaya's press secretary and one of the people sentenced, said there was no particular logic to the list of people investigated.
"They just put as many people on this list as possible to intimidate as many people as possible," she told RFE/RL when the investigation was announced in January.
Since a disputed 2020 presidential election, authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka has cracked down hard on dissent and civil society, jailing hundreds and forcing most of the country's opposition figures, including Tsikhanouskaya, to flee in fear for their safety and freedom.
While the official results handed Lukashenka victory and his sixth consecutive term in office, the opposition and many Western governments and organizations say the poll was rigged and that Tsikhanouskaya was the actual winner.