TALLINN, Estonia (HPD) — A prominent Belarusian political activist was sentenced Monday to 25 years in prison for opposing the regime of President Alexander Lukashenko.
Mikalay Autukhovich was convicted and sentenced on charges of plotting a terrorist attack, high treason, and plotting to seize power.
Autukhovich is a 59-year-old former military officer and veteran of the Soviet war in Afghanistan. He has helped the opposition raise funds for its efforts to oppose Lukashenko, who has ruled the former Soviet nation with an iron fist for more than 28 years.
Lukashenko has brutally suppressed protests that erupted after winning a sixth term in 2020 in an election many see as rigged.
Along with Autukhovich, 11 other activists in Belarus were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 2.5 years to 20 years.