One of the most well-known political activists in Belarus, Dzmitrij Kuchuk, has been sentenced to six years in prison for disrupting public order and undermining national security.
Kuchuk belonged to the Green party, which was banned by the authorities last year. In addition to six years in prison, he was fined approximately 60,000 kronor, reports the human rights group Viasna in Belarus.
Kuchuk was arrested in February in the capital Minsk, when he laid flowers at a memorial site for the Russian activist Aleksej Navalnyj near the Russian embassy. Kuchuk has since been detained following repeated detention hearings every other week.
Presidential elections are to be held in Belarus on January 26, with incumbent President Aleksandr Lukasjenko as the main candidate, as all prominent opposition figures have been imprisoned or fled the country. Dictator Lukasjenko has already led the country for six terms.
