The leader of an opposition party in Belarus was sentenced to seven years in prison on Tuesday, according to a human rights watchdog.
Pavel Seviarynets, 44, co-founded the Belarusian Christian Democracy party. He was arrested in June last year after a picket in support of opposition presidential candidates. On May 25, 2021, Judge Iryna Lanchava of the Mahilioŭ Regional Court sentenced Pavel Seviarynets to seven years in a medium-security penal colony, Viasna Human Rights Center wrote on its website.
Video released on social media on Tuesday showed Severinets chanting we believe, we can, we will win” shortly after his condemnation. Belarus will be free, he said.
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MAHILYOU, Belarus Belarusian opposition politician Paval Sevyarynets has been sentenced to seven years in prison by a regional court in the eastern city of Mahilyou on a criminal charge of organizing mass unrest.
Six pro-democracy activists and bloggers also
received prison sentences ranging from four to seven years on similar charges in connection with unsanctioned political and civic activities.
They include European Belarus civil campaign activists Maksim Vinyarski, Andrey Voynich, Paval Yukhnevich, and Yauhen Afnahel, as well as Telegram channel administrator Iryna Shchasnaya and blogger Dzmitry Kazlou.
All have been recognized by international human rights groups as political prisoners.