18/01/2023 (Agence Europe) – On Tuesday 17 January, the EU High Representative, Josep Borrell, denounced the start of the Lukashenko regime’s trials in absentia against Belarusian democratic opposition leaders Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Pavel Latushka, and against three other members of the Coordination Council, “further misusing the judiciary for political purposes”. They are accused of treason, extremism, conspiracy and incitement to hatred and face up to 20 years in prison “just for trying to exercise their democratic rights”, Borrell said in a statement. “The EU condemns this brutal repression and the politically motivated trials aimed at silencing any independent voices and closing all remaining space for democratic debate”, he warned. There are over 1 440 political prisoners in Belarus. (CG)