{"id":172702,"date":"2026-01-22T23:00:25","date_gmt":"2026-01-22T20:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/172702\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"activists-tried-in-their-absence-given-lengthy-prison-sentences-for-documenting-election-fraud","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/172702\/","title":{"rendered":"Activists tried in their absence, given lengthy prison sentences for documenting election fraud"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

January 22,<\/strong> Pozirk.<\/strong><\/em> The Viciebsk Regional Court tried a group of exiled activists in their absence and imposed lengthy prison sentences for setting up the Honest People initiative that monitored the 2020 presidential election and documented fraud and gross irregularities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The court found Alena \u017dy\u0142a\u010dkina (\u017dyvah\u0142od), Zaryna Sarokina, Aleh Davyd\u010dyk and Cimafiej Ma\u0142acho\u016dski guilty of forming an extremist group and several other charges usually used to prosecute government critics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u017dy\u0142a\u010dkina was sentenced to 10 years in prison and Sarokina, Davyd\u010dyk and Ma\u0142acho\u016dski, to 8 years. All were ordered to pay heavy fines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year, the Committee for State Security (KGB) declared Honest People as an extremist group, listing \u017dyvah\u0142od, Sarokina, Davyd\u010dyk and Ma\u0142acho\u016dski as its members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the 2020 presidential election, Honest People came up with the idea that supporters of opposition candidate \u015aviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dkaja wear white wristbands to demonstrate that they outnumber voters backing other candidates. Journalists observed long queues of Cichano\u016dskaja supporters wearing white wristbands outside polling stations in Minsk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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