Former presidential hopeful Capkała sentenced to 17 years in prison in absentia

April 7, BPN. A court in Belarus has sentenced former presidential hopeful Valer Capkała to 17 years in prison, the Viasna center reports.

Judge Siarhiej Jepichaŭ also banned him from holding managerial positions.

The trial began in the Minsk Regional Court on March 1, without the defendant being present. Capkała and his children had fled Belarus.

“Half of the charges against him are ‘political,'” Viasna said. But the prosecutors underscored his alleged economic crimes, it added, quoting the state media. For instance, the Belarusian Hi-Tech Park reportedly claimed that Capkała had abused his power while running it.

Capkała commented on the opening of the trial by saying that Alaksandr Łukašenka’s regime will be accountable to the European Court of Human Rights.