The trial of Sergei Tikhanovsky, the jailed husband of Belarusian opposition leader, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who himself had wanted to run in presidential elections, starts on Thursday. Tikhanovskaya announced the start of the trial; more than a year after her husband was arrested in the eastern city of Gomel on her Telegram channel. He is accused […]
The trial of Sergei Tikhanovsky, the jailed husband of Belarusian opposition leader, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who himself had wanted to run in presidential elections, starts on Thursday.
Tikhanovskaya announced the start of the trial; more than a year after her husband was arrested in the eastern city of Gomel on her Telegram channel.
He is accused of organising mass unrest, among other things, wrote Tikhanovskaya, who is on exile in Lithuania.
No matter the verdict,“everyone understands that this is not about a trial but personal revenge and reprisals from the one who seized and retains power through violence,’’ wrote Tikhanovskaya, who ran against long-time ruler Alexander Lukashenko after her husband’s arrest.
Since his arrest in May 2020, “the life of our family like that of thousands of Belarusian families has changed a lot,’’ she wrote.
After the August presidential election that handed Lukashenko, who has ruled for more than a quarter-century, another term in office, tens of thousands of people took part in anti-government protests.
Hundreds of people were injured and several killed in the protests.
Belarus has been criticised for jailing people for political reasons.