A court in the Belarusian city of Brest on September 11 began the trial of seven men charged with "taking part in mass unrest" for their participation in rallies in 2020 over the official results of the presidential poll that pronounced authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka as the winner. Syarhey Filimonau, Ihar Varanovich, Alyaksandr Shtyk, Uladzislau Piskunovich, Vital Hira, Yauhen Melnichuk, and Dzmitry Posnikau face up to eight years in prison each if found guilty. Thousands have been detained over the protests against the election results, and rights groups have documented cases of torture and ill-treatment by security forces. Several people died during the crackdown. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Belarus Service, click here.
More Belarusians Go On Trial Over 2020 Anti-Lukashenka Rallies
Protesters in Minsk carry a wounded man during clashes with police after Belarus's disputed presidential election in August 2020