Viktor Babariko was considered the most promising opposition member in the most recent presidential election.
Ruler Lukashenko had him arrested - now a court in Minsk is ruling on the government opponent.
Minsk - More than a year after his arrest, prominent opposition activist Viktor Babariko faces 15 years imprisonment in a controversial trial in Belarus.
The 57-year-old was considered the most promising opponent of the ruler Alexander Lukashenko last year before the presidential election, but was arrested.
His trial is internationally criticized as a political staging in order to silence him.
He is considered one of more than 400 political prisoners in the ex-Soviet republic.
Alleged money laundering and more
“I cannot admit a crime that I have not committed,” Babariko said in his closing remarks at the end of June.
According to the prosecutor's complaint, he faces 15 years imprisonment for alleged money laundering, bribery and tax evasion.
The former banker Babariko had denied the allegations;
he stressed that he had not harmed the employees or the customers of the Russian Belgasprombank.
Babariko was arrested on June 18, 2020 with his son Eduard on their way to the Central Electoral Commission when he was about to hand over signatures for his candidacy.
He had left the bank in May to devote himself entirely to the political struggle.
Lukashenko had openly called on the authorities to take action against his challenger.
According to Lukashenko's authorities, Babariko is said to have formed and enriched a criminal association with colleagues from the bank.
Co-defendants admitted the alleged acts in the process criticized as a staging.
For a pro-European course
Babariko's son is also still in prison, as is his campaign manager Maria Kolesnikowa, who had worked as a cultural manager in Stuttgart for a long time.
Babariko and Kolesnikowa wanted to embark on a pro-European course in Belarus with the new Wmeste (Together) party.
Popular blogger Sergej Tichanowski, who is also in prison, had also applied for a successor to Lukashenko, who has ruled for more than a quarter of a century.
His wife, Svetlana Tichanovskaya, declared her candidacy after the arrest of Lukashenko's opponents.
She won the election after the opposition was convinced, but was forced to leave the country.
Lukashenko internationally isolated
After the presidential election on August 9th, there were mass protests for months against Lukashenko, who had been criticized as the “last dictator in Europe”.
Tens of thousands of people were temporarily arrested, hundreds injured and several killed.
The EU no longer recognizes Lukashenko as president and has imposed numerous sanctions on the power apparatus because of the brutal actions taken against those who think differently.
Lukashenko, who is largely isolated internationally, remains in power mainly because of the financial and political support from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russia sees Belarus as its brother state and sphere of influence in the confrontation with the EU and the USA.
dpa