Bialiatski was awarded the Nobel prize in October for the promotion of democracy and human rights in a country led by President Alexander Lukashenko, an ally to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has ruled authoritatively for almost three decades. Lukashenko has been known for locking away his political opponents, or driving them out of the country.
The Nobel winner and three others were arrested in 2021 for financially supporting protests and allegedly smuggling money. The state-sponsored news agency Belta confirmed that the court had handed down severe jail time to all four of the men, including a 10-year sentence for Bialiatski. He has since denied all the charges brought against him, claiming that the action taken against him was politically motivated, according to Reuters.
The other three men included in the sentencing were Valentin Stefanovich, who was sentenced to nine years, Vladimir Labkovich was given seven years, and Dmitry Solovyov was given eight years.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, an exiled Belarusian opposition leader, stated that what has happened to Bialiatski is "appalling," noting that his conviction was unfair.
Tsikhanouskaya took to Twitter, saying: "The shameful sentence against Ales, Valiantsin & Uladzimir is the regime's revenge for their steadfastness. Revenge for solidarity. Revenge for helping others. Ten years for a @NobelPrize laureate shows clearly what Lukashenka's regime is. We won't stop fighting for our heroes."
She continued: "The sentencing of @viasna96 human rights defenders today - including #NobelPeacePrize laureate Ales Bialiatski - is simply appalling. Ales has dedicated his life to fighting against tyranny. He is a true hero of #Belarus & will be honored long after the dictator is forgotten."
As result, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also took to social media to condemn the conviction of the four men, calling the ruling a sham and "an attempt to suppress democracy and human rights in Belarus."
Josep Borrel, the foreign policy chief for the EU, suggested that the trials were a way to silence the four Belarusian men, a tactic he said would fail.
"Lukashenko will not succeed. Their call for freedom is loud, even behind bars," Borrell said in a statement.
Germany's Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, also chimed in, calling the trials a "farce."
"The Minsk regime is fighting civil society with violence and imprisonment," she posted on Twitter. She continued by saying that it "is as much a daily disgrace" and Lukashenko's support for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"The Minsk regime is fighting civil society with violence and imprisonment," Baerbock wrote on Twitter. She said it "is as much a daily disgrace" as Lukashenko's support for Russian President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine.
