Interim Foreign Affairs Minister Rastislav Kacer condemned the verdict of a Belarusian court, which sentenced exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya to 15 years in prison after a trial in absentia. Kacer added that Slovakia will continue to support democracy in Belarus, TASR learnt on Monday. "The Belarusian regime is trying to intimidate the opposition. The one that remained in Belarus but also the one that had to relocate abroad. And today, when the court sent Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya to 15 years behind bars, is no exception. Slovakia will continue to support democratic forces in Belarus," the interim minister tweeted on his account. According to the court's decision, Tsikhanouskaya is guilty of treason and conspiring to overthrow the government. In addition to Tsikhanouskaya, the court in Minsk ruled in the case of four other opposition representatives, who also didn't participate in their trials. The Belarusian opposition leader stated that, despite the verdict, she wants to continue her activities from exile and will continue to advocate for the release of political prisoners. All five left Belarus following the unprecedented mass protests that erupted in 2020 after authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko secured his sixth term in office in a disputed election. The opposition and the West have denounced the vote as rigged.
Source: TASR
