Kyiv: Maria Kolesnikova, one of the leaders of the Mass Street protest against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko last year, was sentenced to 11 years in prison on Monday, the Belarusian news agency managed by the government and the Belarus Opposition reported.
Kolesnikova, 39, was detained after tearing his passport to prevent Belarusian security forces to be deported in deadlock on the Ukrainian border in September.
Musicians – who changed politicians were one of the faces of the mass opposition movement during the presidential election in August 2020, which was said by the protesters were cheated to extend Lukashenko’s grip on power.
Lukashenko, who has denied election fraud, has been in the office in the former Soviet Republic since 1994 and has faced fresh western sanctions since launching hard action against his opponents.
Kolesnikova and other senior opposition figures, Maxim Znak, were charged with extremism and tried to seize power illegally.
Both denied the mistake and Kolesnikova called the charge absurd.
Znak was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
The record of Sputnik Belarus Channel shows both in a glass enclosure in front of the verdict.
Kolesnikova raised her hand handcuffed to make a sign of her trademark and smile for the camera.
“Maria & Maxim are heroes for Belarus.
The regime wants us to see them destroyed & exhausted.
But see – they smile & dance,” said opposition figure who was exiled by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on Twitter.
“They know – we will free them far earlier than 11 years.
The provisions they should not scare us – Maxim and Maria do not want this.” The trial, which began last month, was closed to the public about national security reasons.
The condition of the case, the researchers and witnesses were not disclosed.
Dozens of people came to the courthouse on Monday, according to several videos circulating on social media.
Kolesnikova was among tens of thousands of people detained after protests began.
He was one of three women, all political novirs, who joined the troops in advance of last year’s election campaign against Lukashenko after high profile male candidates were prohibited from standing.
Viktor Babariko, one of the men who tried to fight Lukashenko, was jailed for 14 years in July.