Two female journalists who ran an online media portal critical of the Belarusian authorities were sentenced today to 12 years in prison each, Reuters reported, citing the Belarusian prosecutor's office.

Marina Zolotova, editor-in-chief of the tut.by internet portal, and director-general of the media Lyudmila Chekina were arrested in May 2021.

They were initially charged with tax evasion and later charged with inciting hatred and calling for sanctions on Belarus.

The online platform tut.by actively covered the mass protests against President Alexander Lukashenko in 2020 and was banned by the authorities on the grounds that it was an "extremist organization".

Many of its employees left the country and created a new media portal called "Zerkalo".

Tikhanovska was sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison in Belarus

According to human rights activists, there are about 1,500 people in Belarus who are detained for political reasons.

Belarusian human rights activist Ales Belyatsky, who last year won the Nobel Peace Prize, was sentenced this month to 10 years in prison after being found guilty of funding protests.

The United States and the European Union criticized his trial as politically motivated.

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