A court in Minsk has convicted Yuras Zyankovich, a Belarusian-born lawyer who also holds U.S. citizenship, and four co-defendants of allegedly planning to assassinate authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka and his family and seize power in the country.
Prosecutors have asked a court in Minsk to convict and sentence Yuras Zyankovich, a Belarusian-born lawyer who also holds U.S. citizenship, and his five co-defendants to lengthy prison terms for planning to assassinate authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka and his family and seize power.
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Much of the international community reacted with shock and fury to the news of the forced landing of the Ryanair plane on a scheduled flight from Athens to Vilnius.
Ursula von der Leyen, head of the EU s executive European Commission, said Pratasevich must be released immediately and that those responsible for the Ryanair hijacking must be sanctioned, adding EU leaders meeting in Brussels on May 24 would discuss what action to take.
As European officials threatened new sanctions against Belarus, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the forced landing and arrest a shocking act, demanded Pratasevich s immediate release, and said President Joe Biden s administration was coordinating with our partners on next steps.
Given the threats and ongoing arrests, the large crowds never materialized. Nevertheless, more than 200 people were arrested that day at modest marches across the country, according to Vyasna.
Lukashenka “chose a deterrence strategy,” unleashing a new wave of repression to nip in the bud any fresh wave of mass protests, explained Alesia Rudnik, a Belarusian analyst based in Sweden.
“Dozens of journalists, activists, and ordinary citizens were arrested,” Rudnik explained in e-mailed comments. “The regime introduced draconian laws on extremism and mass events. Right in this period, state TV started to actively produce more advanced propaganda materials with new narratives and stories. All this indicates Lukashenka is attempting to strengthen his power.”