Belarus opposition leader Andrei Sannikov jailed
A high-profile opposition leader in Belarus has been jailed for five years on charges of organising mass protests after last year's presidential poll.
Andrei Sannikov, a former deputy foreign minister and co-founder of the Charter 97 group, had pleaded innocent.
Mr Sannikov, 57, was one of seven presidential candidates detained at a rally in December after Alexander Lukashenko won a fourth term.
The EU and US condemned the crackdown and imposed sanctions on Mr Lukashenko.
He has been president of the former Soviet republic since 1994.
BBC News
Comments