Belarus Dissident Svetlana Tikhanovskaya Faces ‘Trial in Absentia’, Calls it a ‘Farce’

Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya known as her trial in absentia a “farce” and a “set up” in an interview with AFP, adding that she had no longer been given secure admission to to court docket paperwork earlier than the open of lawsuits on Tuesday.

“These trials are no longer trials at all. It’s a bunch up, it’s farce, nonetheless it has nothing to live with justice at all,” mentioned Tikhanovskaya, who lives in exile in Lithuania after collectively leading protests in opposition to Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko in 2020.

“It’s private revenge of Lukashenko and his cronies, nonetheless no longer handiest in opposition to me, nonetheless other these which will most certainly be opposing him,” she counseled AFP on the World Economic Dialogue board in Davos on Monday where she is the main public pick from Belarus to abet since 1992.

Confronted with “about 10 prices” together with excessive treason and conspiracy to catch energy, the 40-year-standard mentioned she had contacted her court docket-appointed legal professional in regards to the trial, nonetheless he never answered.

“I don’t even know what my so-known as legal professional will be doing the following day in this court docket, how he’s going to defend me,” she added.

“I don’t know how long this trial will contrivance shut, how many days, nonetheless I’m certain they would possibly be able to sentence me to many, a long time in detention heart.”

Lukashenko’s regime has prosecuted and jailed a increasing different of opposition figures, journalists and activists since mass professional-democracy demonstrations in 2020 led by Tikhanovskaya and two other ladies folks.

Jailed Nobel Prize winner and human rights campaigner Ales Bialiatski, 60, went on trial in Minsk final Thursday, facing a sentence of seven to 12 years.

Tikhanovskaya mentioned her trial would possibly perhaps perhaps presumably lead Belarus to inform of affairs an world arrest warrant thru police organisation Interpol and counseled Lukashenko to strip her of her Belarusian nationality and passport.

The usual teacher is pushing for the European Union to agree to recognise a brand new passport of “Free Belarus” for her and other exiles.

“I realize that this would per chance presumably also very well be an unheard of case. But we live in an unheard of world and we take into accout got to hunt new approaches,” she mentioned.

‘Bluffing’

Asked about joint air power drills on Monday between Russia and Belarus, which take into accout increased fears about Lukashenko ordering his troops to assault Ukraine, Tikhanovskaya pushed aside them as basically the most unusual “bluffing”.

Lukashenko allowed Russian President Vladimir Putin to ship troops to Belarus and spend the country to stage attacks on Ukraine for the length of February’s invasion, he nonetheless has so a ways saved Belarusian forces out of the war.

“I’d call it bluffing or a bunch up for the Belarusian folks,” Tikhanovskaya mentioned of basically the most unusual workouts.

“Initially to threaten them, to issue ‘scrutinize the Russian navy is right here, so sit quietly, don’t oppose something’.”

She mentioned the opposite cause used to be “attracting the eye of Ukrainian squaddies from hotspots in jap piece (of Ukraine) to the Belarusian borders.”

She added: “Ukrainians are willing for that you just would possibly perhaps perhaps per chance presumably imagine land attacks. They mined moderately about a kilometres of border and I take into accout it’s very no longer at menace of another time invade Ukraine (from Belarus).”

Tikhanovskaya, who claimed victory in a contested 2020 presidential election, mentioned she used to be the main Belarusian to abet the World Economic Dialogue board since 1992 — two years ahead of Lukashenko came to energy.

“It’s a huge honour for us because for (practically) 30 years, Belarus used to be like a shadowy hole on the diagram of Europe. No one used to be plenty with what used to be going on there. We were belief about as an appendix of Russia. We didn’t take into accout our snarl,” she mentioned.

She plans to meet Ukrainian ministers, who are attending in power to push for bigger Western hands and reduction, nonetheless she is soundless ready for a gathering with Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky.

“They must be cautious for the time being. They don’t must irritate Lukashenko,” she mentioned

Tikhanovskaya ran for president in 2020 when her husband, current blogger Sergei Tikhanovsky, used to be averted from standing.

He used to be sentenced to 18 years in detention heart in December 2021 for organising riots and inciting social unrest among other prices.

Tikhanovskaya has no longer been in a position to discuss or write to her husband, nonetheless detention heart authorities enable him to correspond with their young folks — the handiest contact the family take into accout with him, she mentioned.

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