Finland condemns prison sentences of HR activists in Belarus

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs on Friday strongly condemned the prison sentences of Nobel Peace Prize laureate and human rights activist Ales Bialiatski, along with three other activists in Belarus and demanded release of the detainees.

“Finland strongly condemns the politically motivated prison sentences of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and human rights activist Ales Bialiatski, along with three other activists. We call on Belarus for the release of political prisoners,” the ministry wrote in a twitter post late Friday night.

Earlier on Friday, a court in Belarus sentenced Bialiatski to 10 years imprisonment, international media reported.

He was convicted of smuggling and financing "actions grossly violating public order", the Viasna human rights group said.

Bialiatski was one of three winners of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize. He was arrested in 2021 following massive street protests over widely disputed elections the previous year and accused of smuggling cash into Belarus to fund opposition activity, reported British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).