The ECBA Human Rights Committee would like to express its growing concern about the situation in Belarus regarding the impermissible persecution and the default convictions of political dissidents that amounts, in our view, to the flagrant denial of the fair trials principle in the country.
On 26 December 2022, Ms Aliaksandra Herasimenia, retired three-time Olympic medal swimmer, and Mr Alexander Opeikin, executive director of the Belarusian Sports Solidarity Foundation, were tried in absentia and each sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment, the maximum penalty possible.
The Olympian athlete and her co-defendant were found guilty of calling for sanctions against the Belarusian regime for its support of the invasion of Ukraine, which were considered by the Belarusian Authorities as being aimed at “harming the national security of Belarus”.
Since 2020, the athlete has been well known for opposing the regime in a variety of ways, including founding with Alexander Opeikin the Belarusian Sports Solidarity Foundation (BSSF), whose main goal is to provide support to athletes who have been detained and have faced repression in any way for expressing their political views.
Read the full details and ECBA's recommendations.