INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The trial in absentia of Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya opened in Minsk on Tuesday, state news agency Belta reported, as
strongman Alexander Lukashenko pursues critics that challenged his last election.Tikhanovskaya, who claimed victory in 2020 presidential
Belta said.The 40-year-old activist, who was forced after the vote amid protests to leave Belarus for neighboring EU member state Lithuania,
has become the face of Belarusian democratic forces.In an interview with AFP at Davos this week, Tikhanovskaya described the trial as a
"farce" and said she had not been given access to court documents ahead of the proceedings."I don't know how long this trial will take
place, how many days, but I'm sure they will sentence me to many, many years in jail," she said Monday.Tikhanovskaya's political allies
Maria Moroz, Pavel Latushko, Olga Kovalkova and Sergei Dylevsky are also being tried in absentia.The high-profile trial comes after
Belarusian authorities put in the dock a number of other critics including jailed Nobel Prize winner Ales Bialiatski.The 60-year-old
Bialiatski, who founded Viasna (Spring), the country's top rights group, and two of his associates have been in detention since July
2021.The rights campaigners stand accused of smuggling a "large amount of cash" into Belarus to allegedly fund opposition activities, and
face between seven and 12 years in prison.Ahead of the start of Tikhanovskaya's trial, investigators announced new charges against her
prison."I know that whatever they come up with, it won't break him and it won't break my will to fight for the freedom of all political
prisoners," Tikhanovskaya tweeted recently.The 44-year-old charismatic YouTube blogger galvanized Belarusians when he ran for president in
allegedly provoked conflicts with cellmates and flouted prison authorities' orders.Belarus witnessed a historic protest movement denouncing
1,400 political prisoners in Belarus.On Monday, a Polish-Belarusian journalist went on trial in the western city of Grodno.Andrzej Poczobut,
faces up to 12 years in prison for criticizing Lukashenko's regime, if convicted.
