District Attorneys in Moscow-allied Belarus have asked the courts to jail Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya and a close aide to nearly twenty years behind bars as they are tried in absentia.The suggestion reported on Belarusian state media becomes part of a long-running and brutal campaign to silence critics who led historical rallies in 2020 versus strongman Alexander Lukashenko.

The state prosecutor requested 19 years in jail for (Svetlana) Tikhanovskaya and (Pavel) Latushko, news agency Belta reported, including that three other accuseds had actually been called to serve 12-year terms.Tikhanovskaya, who claimed success in the 2020 presidential elections, deals with a list of charges consisting of high treason, conspiracy to seize power and creating and leading an extremist organization.Latushko is a previous Belarusian culture minister and was an essential figure of the huge demonstrations against Lukashenko who claimed a 6th term in the vote.Both Tikhanovskaya, who was required to get away to Lithuania in the European Union, and Latushko now live outdoors Belarus.In an interview with AFP last month, Tikhanovskaya explained the trial as a farce and said it was a given she would be handed numerous, many years in prison.

Her trial follows Belarusian authorities put in the dock a variety of other critics, including her partner who was disallowed from running in the 2020 vote and Nobel Peace Prize co-winner Ales Bialiatski.Lukashenko, who has actually been in power for nearly 3 years, is a crucial ally of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.