Belarus' exiled opposition leader says trial has 'nothing to do with justice'

Belarus' exiled absorption person Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who was enactment connected proceedings successful absentia this week connected treason charges, said she has nary anticipation that she volition person a just trial.

Tsikhanouskaya, who fled Belarus aft moving against President Alexander Lukashenko successful the 2020 statesmanlike race, told CNBC that her proceedings — and the suits against different critics — were a signifier of "personal revenge" by the incumbent implicit challenges to his long-time leadership.

"All the trials that are going connected present successful Belarus for governmental opponents, for those radical who are opposing the war, person thing to bash with justice," Tsikhanouskaya told CNBC Wednesday astatine the World Economic Forum successful Davos, Switzerland. "It's conscionable idiosyncratic revenge of this authorities connected those who situation to accidental against the authorities oregon for Ukrainians."

CNBC has reached retired for remark from the Belarus statesmanlike bureau and the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Tsikhanouskaya fled Belarus aft Lukashenko seized powerfulness successful the sharply contested 2020 elections, which were followed by wide demonstrations implicit alleged electoral fraud. She presently resides successful the Lithuanian superior of Vilnius.

She was enactment connected proceedings Tuesday and faces a imaginable jailhouse word of 15 years connected charges of treason and attempting to prehend power.

"I, of course, americium not expecting thing from this proceedings and I cognize that the justice volition condemnation maine to truthful galore years arsenic the justice is ordered," Tsikhanouskaya said.

"The alleged lawyer volition not support me. He doesn't adjacent cognize my presumption connected this court. But I request to enactment successful absentia successful this origin — to cod each the evidence, each the documents, and to support my rights successful planetary organizations," she added.

Belarus connected Monday besides brought caller transgression charges against Tsikhanouskaya's jailed husband, Sergei Tikhanovsky, who was arrested successful 2020 portion attempting to tally for bureau against Lukashenko.

Tsikhanouskaya's proceedings comes amid ongoing concerns implicit Lukashenko's ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the imaginable escalation of Belarus' engagement successful the warfare successful Ukraine.

Belarus has played a supporting relation successful Russia's penetration of Ukraine, providing a staging crushed aboriginal connected and, latterly, a determination for grooming troops and conducting associated drills.