The trial in absentia of six former Belarusian law enforcement officers who left the country after taking the side of protesters in 2020 challenging the official results of a presidential election that named authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka the winner began behind closed doors on January 22.
Alyaksandr Azarau, Matsvey Kupreychyk, Ihar Loban, Andrey Astapovich, Uladzimer Zhyhar, and Aleh Talerchyk are being tried in the Minsk City Court on charges of inciting social hatred, plotting to forcibly seize power, and the creation of an extremist group.
Although the Belarusian authorities had said the trial would be open to the public, the court said some parts of it will be held behind closed doors, citing "classified data."
The Crisis In Belarus
Read our coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues his brutal crackdown on NGOs, activists, and independent media following the August 2020 presidential election.
The charges stem from the defendants' role in the creation abroad of ByPol, a group uniting former law enforcement officers who support opposition politicians.
In August 2022, ByPol was designated a terrorist organization by Belarus's Supreme Court.
A year later, ByPol split into two groups -- ByPol and BelPol -- following disagreements within the organization and with the Belarusian opposition in exile led by Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
If convicted, the six former law enforcement officers may be sentenced in absentia to dozens of years in prison.
Thousands have been detained during countrywide protests over the election results and there have been credible reports of torture and ill-treatment by security forces. Several people died during the crackdown.
Lukashenka, who has ruled the country with an iron fist since 1994, has refused to negotiate with the opposition and many of its leaders have been arrested or forced to leave the country.
Also on January 22, the Vyasna human rights center said that the Brest regional court in the country's west sentenced local resident Alyaksandr Boyka to 2 1/2 years in prison for taking a video of unspecified military equipment and posting it on an unspecified online chat room.
Judge Dzmitry Karasinski sentenced Boyka after finding him guilty of taking part in an extremist group's activities.
Lukashenka has supported Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine launched in February 2022 by allowing Russian troops to use Belarusian territory. Moscow also sent tactical nuclear weapons to be stationed in Belarus.