USA, reacting to the sentence by the Belarusian opposition officials Sergey Tikhanovsky, as well as his associates, Nikolai Statkevich, Igor’s leopard and others, condemned the court decision and called it politically motivated. This is stated in the statement of Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
“These sentences are another evidence of the neglect of the regime to international obligations, as well as to human rights and the main freedoms of Belarusians,” said Blinken. He called on the Belarusian authorities “to stop repressions against representatives of civil society, independent media, political opposition and other Belarusians,” to free all political prisoners, to hold new elections under international supervision, and also “stop the brutal exploitation of vulnerable migrants.”
Earlier, the European Union criticized the sentences who were delivered to Belarusian oppositionists, and demanded their release, and also threatened the official sanctions tightening.
Gomel Court of December 14 sentenced Sergey Tikhanovsky by 18 years of reinforced regime colony. The oppositionist was recognized as guilty of calls to violence against the authorities and the preparation of mass riots in the country. Together with the Tikhanov court sentenced several other opposition politicians and bloggers – in particular, Igor Leosika, Nikolai Statkevich, Artem Sakova, Vladimir Tsyganovich and Dmitry Popova. All of them received from 14 to 16 years in prison.