The Times: Europe’s last dictator defies West as opponent’s ‘show trial’ begins

"President" Lukashenko of Belarus defied international criticism of a political crackdown by putting his leading election challenger on trial yesterday.

Andrei Sannikov faces up to 15 years in prison if he is convicted of organising mass protests in the former Soviet republic against Mr Lukashenko’s re-election in December. He has been held since election night when the secret police, which is still called the KGB, arrested more than 600 activists during street protests in the capital, Minsk.

Mr Sannikov, 57, a founder of the human rights website Charter 97, was allegedly beaten up in detention. His wife, the prominent journalist Irina Khalip, was also arrested and the couple were threatened with having their three-year-old son, Danil, placed in a state orphanage.

Mr Lukashenko, who has been called Europe’s last dictator, claimed a fourth term as President with 80 per cent of the votes in an election widely condemned as fraudulent. Mr Sannikov, the former Deputy Foreign Minister, came second with 2.5 per cent.

He appeared before the Minsk Partizan district court yesterday with four others in the highest-profile trial of opposition activists since the crackdown began.

Four other presidential candidates out of the nine who faced Mr Lukashenko have been charged with similar crimes. Seven activists have been imprisoned for between two and four years and at least 30 are awaiting trial.

Mr Sannikov denied the charges, saying that the violent clashes on election night had been provoked by riot police.

Mr Sannikov’s mother, Ala, told Radio Free Europe’s Belarus service before the hearing opened that her son was facing a show trial.

The US and EU have imposed travel bans on Mr Lukashenko and 157 senior officials. Ambassadors from Sweden and Hungary are observing the trial along with US and Russian diplomats.

Ms Khalip was released on bail and allowed to look after their son after an international outcry. She is awaiting trial under house arrest with two KGB agents in her home and is forbidden to speak publicly.

Mr Lukashenko, shunned by the West and regarded as an irritant by Russia, appears increasingly isolated. He is desperate for a $3 billion (£1.8 billion) loan from Moscow to ease a financial crisis. Minsk is also on edge after an explosion at an underground station this month killed 14 people and injured more than 200. Mr Lukashenko has dismissed claims that the regime was behind the blast to divert attention from the economy.

Candidate crackdown:

Vladimir Neklyayev, 64

Snatched from his hospital bed after being assaulted by riot police in December. He was released from prison and placed under house arrest in January

Mikalai Statkevich, 54

Charged on March 18 for organising a post-election rally in December that attracted 50,000 demonstrators

Ales Mikhalevich, 35

Arrested in December. He was released in February and says that security forces physically and mentally tortured him in detention

Vital Rymasheuski, 36

Injured by riot police during the post-election protests. He was released on December 31 under orders not to leave the country