The Belarusian court sentenced the country's pro-democracy activist and 2022 Nobel Peace Prize winner Bialyatsky to 10 years in prison.

The picture shows Biajacki sitting in the defendant's cage when he appeared in court in November 2011.

(Associated Press file photo, Reuters; synthesized by this newspaper)

[Compile Zhang Peiyuan/Comprehensive Report] Russian state-run media TASS (TASS) reported that a court in Belarus sentenced the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski to 10 years in prison on the 3rd for funding protests and tax evasion .

Although the outside world had predicted that Biarjacki would receive a heavy sentence, the verdict is still likely to draw strong condemnation from Western human rights organizations.

Pro-democracy activist Bijalyatsky is the founder of the Belarusian human rights group Viasna, which has provided legal and financial assistance to demonstrators protesting against the unfair election in Belarus in 2020.

Biarjacki insisted he was charged for political reasons.

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Human rights groups say there are about 1,500 political prisoners in Belarus, many of whom were arrested in 2020 after taking part in suppressed demonstrations against unfair elections.

The demonstrations were triggered by long-term Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko claiming to be re-elected in the general election, but the election was denounced as fraudulent by the West and the Belarusian opposition.

Bialyatsky, Russian human rights group Memorial, and Ukraine's Center for Civil Liberties are co-winners of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize for years of protecting citizens' rights , and for their outstanding efforts in documenting war crimes, human rights violations and abuse of power, the three groups of winners collectively demonstrate the importance of civil society to peace and democracy.

The Belarusian court sentenced the country's pro-democracy activist and 2022 Nobel Peace Prize winner Bialyatsky to 10 years in prison.

The picture shows Bialiacki sitting in the defendant's cage when he appeared in court in November 2011.

(Associated Press file photo)