Belarus Sentences Oppositionist Tsapkala to 17 Years in Absentia.
Belarusian opposition politician Valeriy Tsepkalo has been sentenced to 17 years in a high-security prison in absentia for violating nine articles of Belarus’ criminal code, including inciting the overthrow of the government and offending authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko. Tsepkalo fled Belarus in 2020 and is currently based in Latvia. His sentencing is part of a wider crackdown on dissent in Belarus following the disputed 2020 election that saw Lukashenko elected to a sixth term.