Russia ally Belarus brings in death penalty for high treason
GuardianAUG 2023
Belarusian dissidents and opposition figures have expressed outrage over the long jail terms handed down on Wednesday to Protasevich and his two former colleagues. President Alexander Lukashenka has once again shown his disregard for justice by sentencing Protasevich on PressFreedomDay. The development also follows the jailing of the innocent Nobel Peace Prize winner and human-rights activist Ales Bialiatski, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison in March.
Protasevich and his co-conspirators were charged with directing the activities of the terrorist organization Nexta. The defendants have repeatedly incited social hatred and discord by blocking roads, coordinating street riots, and committing terrorist attacks on the railway and other elements of critical infrastructure. The defendants used their information resources to destabilize the situation in the territory of Belarus and radicalize protests from abroad.