Belarus reporters deny charges in ‘absurd’ protest trial

Minsk, Feb 9 (AFP/APP): Two Belarusian journalists denied on Tuesday organising protests against strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko on the opening day of their trial in Minsk.

Mass protests swept Belarus last year after Lukashenko claimed a sixth term in office in August, following an election that the opposition and the West said was rigged. The government cracked down on the demonstrations, leaving at least four protesters dead and thousands in jail — hundreds claiming to have been tortured in custody.

On November 15, journalists for Poland-based opposition television channel Belsat Katerina Bakhvalova, 27, and Daria Chultsova, 23, were detained while covering a rally in support of a killed protester. After spending seven days in jail on charges of participating in an unauthorised demonstration, the two were charged with “organising and preparing protests that grossly violate the public order”. The charges carry a maximum penalty of three years in prison.

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