'Our movement is unstoppable': Exiled Belarusian opposition leader speaks out after receiving 15-year prison sentence

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the exiled absorption person of Belarus, told CNBC she "wasn't surprised" by the court's verdict aft she was handed a 15-year condemnation successful a situation camp.

The Minsk tribunal connected Monday, which convicted Tsikhanouskaya successful absentia, recovered her blameworthy of treason and conspiracy to prehend power.

 "It was predictable that Lukashenko would effort to instrumentality revenge connected me," Tsikhanouskaya told CNBC's Dan Murphy Tuesday aft the verdict.

Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled the ex-Soviet state with an robust fist since 1994, has "underestimated the volition of radical for change," she added. 

Tsikhanouskaya fled Belarus aft moving against incumbent Lukashenko successful a 2020 predetermination that was marred by protests and arrests, brutal beatings and the torture of thousands, according to Human Rights Watch. Lukashenko's 2020 predetermination victory, successful which helium claims to person won 80% of the vote, was called a "deeply flawed and fraudulent statesmanlike election" by multiple occidental governments. The U.N. criticized Belarus "for constabulary unit against peaceful protesters and journalists" pursuing the "controversial statesmanlike election."

Tsikhanouskaya was forced into exile with her children a time aft the 2020 vote. Her husband, Sergei, a erstwhile statesmanlike campaigner and professional of the president was jailed for 18 years successful 2021, and remains down bars successful Belarus.

"Our question is unstoppable" Tsikhanouskaya told CNBC, vowing to combat on. She said Lukashenko was incorrect if helium thought the "sentence would halt maine oregon our movement."

"We volition proceed to bash what we bash due to the fact that our comrades, our beloved, our friends are down bars successful reality," Tsikhanouskaya told CNBC, referring to the astir 1,500 governmental prisoners presently held by the Lukashenko authorities successful Belarus.

"We person to proceed our combat to merchandise each of them," she added. Tsikhanouskaya's sentencing comes conscionable 1 week aft Belarus sentenced Nobel Prize victor Ales Bialiatski to 10 years successful prison.

Media crossed the state is intimately monitored and journalists who situation to talk against the authorities are typically imprisoned. According to the European Parliament, "the indispensable reforms to supply media state person ne'er materialized. Instead, implicit the years assorted laws person lessened the rights of autarkic journalists and imposed limits connected some accepted and physics media."

Tsikhanouskaya reiterated to CNBC that Belarusians should "look for accusation successful alternate sources of media" and proceed their absorption "but safely."

"Until Belarus is free, they volition beryllium a changeless menace to Ukraine," Tsikhanouskaya told CNBC Tuesday.

Lukashenko is simply a adjacent state of Russia's President Vladimir Putin, and allowed Russian troops to usage his state arsenic a staging country during the archetypal penetration of Ukraine successful February of 2022.

Last week, Lukashenko paid a authorities sojourn to China, contempt warnings from U.S. officials. Ukrainian subject officials warned Belarus successful October aft Russia sent thousands of troops backmost to the country, and fears of a associated incursion grew. Russia and Belarus extended subject drills successful January of this year, causing heightened interest that Russia is pressuring its closest state to articulation the warfare successful Ukraine.