The trial of Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Byalyatski began in Belarus today. The human rights lawyer is accused of financing the protests against the government of President Alexander Lukashenko in the summer of 2020 and smuggling cash.
The 60-year-old co-founded the human rights organization Vyazna and was arrested in 2021 along with two employees. The three accused face prison terms of between seven and twelve years. A fourth lawyer, who fled into exile, has also been charged in absentia. Confidants of the accused speak of a politically motivated process.
Byalyatski is one of the most prominent of the hundreds of people incarcerated over the anti-authoritarian government protests. He has not commented publicly on the allegations. His lawyer is barred from divulging any information about the case. Vyazna said on Twitter that the judge refused to conduct the trial in Belarusian instead of Russian. The court rejected Byaljazki’s request for a translator.
