Belarus opens trial of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Bialiatski

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A Belarusian court has opened the trial of jailed human rights activist Ales Bialiatski, one of the winners of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize. Bialiatski and two other top figures of the Viasna human rights center he founded face up to 12 years in prison if convicted of financing anti-government protests. They were arrested after massive protests against a 2020 election that gave authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko a new term in office. The protests persisted for months, the largest wave of protest to hit Belarus, and authorities took harsh action. The charges in the trial that began Thursday are connected to Viasna’s providing money to political prisoners and helping pay their legal fees.