Authorities label Cichanoŭskaja an extremist

July 14, BPN. Authorities in Belarus have blacklisted exiled opposition leader Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja, her ally Pavieł Łatuška and 30 others as extremists.

A Minsk court sentenced Cichanoŭskaja to 15 years and Łatuška to 18 years in prison after a trial in absentia in March.

“I’m actually proud that the Lukashenka regime added me to the list of 3,048 brave Belarusians called ‘extremists,'” Cichanoŭskaja tweeted. “In Belarus, ‘extremism’ has come to mean loving your country, speaking your language & envisioning a European future. It means striving for peace, freedom & dignity.”

The interior ministry has also blacklisted three members of a coordination council that sought a dialogue with the Łukašenka regime to end the post-election political crisis. Maryja Maroz, Siarhiej Dyleŭski and Volha Kavalkova were tried in absentia and sentenced to 12 years each.

New additions to the list include Siarhiej Frančuk, a cousin of a Belarusian volunteer fighting in Ukraine, Andrej Dźmitryjeŭ, a politician, and Ivan Kotaŭ, an athlete and blogger.

Today, there are 3,048 names on the list.

In April, the Committee for State Security added Cichanoŭskaja and Łatuška to the list of terrorists.