Opposition activists in Belarus given lengthy prison sentences

Belarus’ opposition activists Maria Kolesnikova, foreground, and Maxim Znak, behind her at a court appearance in August (Ramil Nasibulin/BelTA pool photo via AP, File)

Two leading opposition activists have been sentenced to lengthy prison sentences by a court in Belarus, the latest move in the relentless crackdown Belarusian authorities have unleashed on dissent in the wake of last year’s anti-government protests.

Maria Kolesnikova, a leading member of the opposition Coordination Council, has been in custody since her arrest last September.