26 C
Dubai
Thursday, March 28, 2024
spot_img

World News | Belarus begins trial of journalist of prominent Polish newspaper

[ad_1]

TALLINN (Estonia), Jan. 16 (AP) — Belarus began the trial Monday of a journalist and a prominent member of the country’s sizable Polish minority, in a campaign against critics of President Alexander Lukashenko’s authoritarian regime. The latest in a series of court cases.

Andrzej Poczobut faces up to 12 years in prison if found guilty of endangering state security and inciting discord.

Read also | Republic Day 2023: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi will be the chief guest at Republic Day celebrations.

Poczobut, a journalist for the influential Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza and a top figure in the Belarusian Union of Poles, has been in prison since his detention in March 2021.

He has reported extensively on the major protests that have gripped Belarus for weeks in 2020 after a presidential election that gave Lukashenko a new term in power since 1994 was widely viewed by the opposition and the West as fraudulent.

Read also | Congo church bombing: Islamic State claims responsibility for 14 killed in church bombing in eastern Congo.

The trial in the western city of Grodno was closed to independent journalists and Western diplomats, but court photos showed Poczobut had lost significant weight while in custody.

The 2020 protests were the largest and longest running in the country. Authorities cracked down on the demonstrations, arresting more than 35,000 people, thousands were beaten by police, and dozens of media outlets and NGOs were shut down.

This month, Belarus tried human rights activist Ales Bialiatski, co-recipient of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize, for funding protests. Another trial of two top figures at the now-banned independent news portal TUT.BY began last week.

About 300,000 of Belarus’ population of 10 million are Poles. The Polish coalition has come under pressure from the government after authorities accused Poland of trying to foment an uprising against Lukashenko. (Associated Press)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)



[ad_2]

Source link

Related Articles

Saudi Arabia Grants 6-Day Holiday for Eid Al Fitr 2024 to Public and Private Sector Employees.

Saudi Arabia Declares 6-Day Eid Al Fitr Holiday for Public and Private Sector Employees The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development in Saudi Arabia...

Apple Empowers Innovation: Acquisition of Canadian AI Start-up DarwinAI Sparks Excitement for iPhone Users

Apple Acquisition of Canadian AI Start-up DarwinAI Apple made headlines earlier this year with its acquisition of Canadian startup DarwinAI, a move that signals a...

New Zealand Condemns China for Unacceptable Hacking of Parliament

New Zealand Condemns Blatant Chinese Cyberattack on Parliament as 'Unacceptable' New Zealand's Foreign Minister, Winston Peters, minced no words as he condemned the recent cyber...

Ramadan 2024: Glorious Images of Muslims Worldwide Celebrating.

Ramadan 2024: Embracing Unity and Devotion as Muslims Worldwide Commemorate Sacred Month In the spring of 2024, the global Muslim community once again came together...

Google Slammed: 250-Million-Euro French Fine Strikes Blow in News Copyright Battle

Google Slammed: Massive 250-Million-Euro French Fine Strikes Blow in News Copyright Battle French regulators announced on Wednesday that Google is facing a hefty fine of...

Latest Articles