Belarus politician's son jailed for opposition donations

Belarus has ramped up a huge crackdown on dissent since 2020, when the country was rocked by mass protests against the disputed re-election of strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko.

According to the Viasna human rights NGO, Artem Lebedko was accused of "financing the activities of an extremist formation", which includes parties and groups opposed to Lukashenko's rule.

Lebedko pled not guilty to the charges, Viasna said, which were brought before Minsk City Court.

Most Belarusian opponents have fled or been jailed. According to Viasna, there are currently almost 1,500 political prisoners in the country.