Council of Europe Secretary General condemns trial in absentia of 20 Belarusian oppositionists

Marija Pejčinović Burić, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, has condemned the trial in absentia against a group of experts, journalists and opposition politicians in Belarus.

Source: Council of Europe Secretary General on X (Twitter), European Pravda reports

Pejčinović Burić condemned the trial in absentia of the group on trumped-up charges.

I condemn today’s trial in absentia of Belarusian experts, journalists & opposition politicians on spurious charges. Held in blatant violation of due process, this case is part of wider political repressions @coe stands w/defendants & all who support a free & democratic Belarus

— Marija Pejčinović Burić (@MarijaPBuric) May 31, 2024

Quote: "Held in blatant violation of due process, this case is part of wider political repressions. The Council of Europe stands with defendants and all who support a free and democratic Belarus," she said.

Background:

• On 31 May, Minsk began the trial in absentia of 20 "members of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's Analytics extremist group", including Yury Drakakhrust, a journalist of the Belarusian service of Radio Liberty, and Anna Krasulina, the press secretary of Belarusian opposition leader Tsikhanouskaya.
• In April, Alexander Lukashenko, the self-proclaimed president of Belarus, hinted at a meeting of the All-Belarusian People's Assembly that Belarusian services could put pressure on the members of the Belarusian opposition who went abroad by targeting their relatives inside the country.
• In January, widespread raids against relatives of political prisoners and former political prisoners were reported in Belarus.

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