Belarus opposition leader sentenced to five years in jail

Belarus opposition leader sentenced to five years in jail

2011-05-15 03:38:52 GMT+7 (ICT)

MINSK, BELARUS (BNO NEWS) -- A Belarusian court sentenced on Saturday former presidential candidate Andrei Sannikov to five years in prison for organizing mass unrest, RIA Novosti reported.

Sannikov, a former deputy foreign minister and leader of Belarus' Christian Democratic Party, challenged Alexander Lukashenko in the December presidential elections. He was one of seven candidates detained after the polls, which international observers said were rigged.

The candidate's wife Irina Khalip, a journalist for the Belarusian Novaya Gazeta, was also detained, but then released. The verdict on Khalip's case is expected to be announced on Monday.

The United States condemned the verdict and said it could impose new sanctions against Belarus.

"Belarus should immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners and cease continuing human rights violations against critics of the government, who remain at risk of harassment and arbitrary arrest," Mark Toner, spokesman for the U.S. Department of State, said in a statement.

European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek also condemned the verdict and called for the immediate release of all political prisoners.

"I would like to express my deep solidarity with Mr Sannikov, his family, all other prisoners shamefully sentenced today and all those who are in prison for political reasons," Buzek said in a statement.

"This is the regime's revenge for courage and openness. Andrei Sannikov was convicted because he stood up for the truth and democratic future of his country," the statement added.

Four other younger defendants were handed sentences of up to three-and-a-half years in the same trial.

More than 600 citizens of Belarus were detained after the December 19 demonstration in central Minsk following the reelection of President Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled the country for more than 15 years. The United States and the European Union imposed sanctions on Belarus over the post-election crackdown.

Most of the detainees have been charged with administrative offenses, but dozens of criminal cases have been initiated over the protests, including several against former presidential candidates.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-05-15