As the Secretary General of the Community of Democracies, I strongly condemn the actions of the Lukashenka regime to sentence Belarusian activists and political prisoners Siarhei Tsikahnouski, Dzimitry Popov, Artsiom Sakau, Ihar Losik, Uladzimir Tsyhanovich and Mykalay Statkevich for excessive prison terms for simply standing for fundamental freedoms and human rights.

Yesterday’s sentencing followed closed, months-long trials, which failed to meet any standards of accepted justice. I call for the immediate release of these activists and the hundreds detained arbitrarily following the fraudulent election of 2020.