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TWO Belarusian opposition leaders were handed lengthy prison sentences today.
Maria Kolesnikova, a member of the Co-ordination Council — a body set up with the aim of replacing the Belarusian government following the disputed election results of August 2020 — received 11 years after being found guilty of conspiring to seize power, creating an extremist organisation and calling for actions damaging to state security.
She helped found the Razam (“Together”) party, which is not recognised in Belarus, in September last year and was formerly a campaign manager for Viktar Babaryka, a banker who was imprisoned on embezzlement charges last year while campaigning for the presidency.
Maxim Znak was jailed for 10 years on the same charges. Mr Znak also sat on the Co-ordination Council and helped vet members of it for its leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the candidate who officially lost last year’s election but claims the result was fraudulent and has since tried to direct opposition operations from Lithuania.
