Belarus opposition leader handed 15-year jail term for 'treason'

FILE PHOTO: Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya takes part in World Economic Forum (WEF) session "In Defence of Europe", in Davos, Switzerland, January 17, 2023. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

LONDON (Reuters) -Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was handed a 15-year jail term on Monday after being convicted in absentia for treason and "conspiracy to seize power", a verdict she said was punishment for her efforts to promote democracy.

Tsikhanouskaya, 40, a former English teacher, fled to neighbouring Lithuania in 2020 after running against incumbent leader Alexander Lukashenko in a presidential election, which official results showed Lukashenko won by a landslide.