A Belarusian-American has faced an extension of his prison sentence to a total of 13 1/2 years, as part of the ongoing crackdown on dissent by Belarus’ authoritarian government, according to rights activists. Yuras Zyankovich, a lawyer holding both Belarusian and U.S. citizenship, has been in detention since 2021. He was initially convicted in September 2022 on charges of planning to assassinate President Alexander Lukashenko and seize power, receiving an 11-year sentence. Subsequently, six more months were added to his term in the same year.
In August, he was given an additional two-year sentence by a Belarusian court on allegations of “malicious disobedience to the prison administration,” as reported by the Viasna human rights group, with details only emerging recently. Since March, Zyankovich, aged 46, has been deprived of legal representation. He resorted to multiple hunger strikes, which have led to a severe decline in his health while facing harassment and intimidation by prison officials. Last month, state television broadcast a propaganda film featuring Zyankovich discussing the purported plot for which he was convicted.
The U.S. Embassy in Belarus expressed condemnation over the documentary, rejecting the unfounded allegations it contained in a statement issued in September. The embassy reiterated its commitment to advocating for the well-being of the detained American. In 2020, Belarus witnessed significant protests following an election that granted Lukashenko a sixth term in office, deemed fraudulent by the opposition and Western powers. Viasna has reported over 65,000 arrests since the onset of the protests, with hundreds of thousands fleeing Belarus.
Viasna also noted the existence of more than 1,300 political prisoners in Belarus, which includes Ales Bialiatski, the group’s founder and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The continuous crackdown on dissent in Belarus underscores the challenges facing individuals like Zyankovich, who are targeted for their opposition to the government’s actions.