MINSK, Belarus (AP) — A court in authoritarian Belarus on Wednesday sentenced an opposition leader to two years in prison for his part in organizing a rally last December to protest the results of the presidential election.
The court in Minsk found Dmitry Bondarenko guilty of organizing the rally in December that attracted some 50,000 people.
Bondarenko told the court he believes his prosecution to be politically motivated.
"This is no more than a reprisal against political opponents," he told the court in his final statement.
Authorities violently cracked down on the rally that followed the presidential election of which longtime president Alexander Lukashenko was declared the winner.
Some 700 people including seven presidential candidates were arrested.
Ten more opposition leaders including presidential candidate Andrei Sannikov are also on trial.
Seven opposition figures have already been sentenced to jail terms of two to four years for their part in the protest.
The United States and the European Union blacklisted Lukashenko and other Belarusian officials following the crackdown.
