New Belarusian law threatens protesters with years in prison

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has signed a law that threatens demonstrators with years in prison

KYIV, Ukraine -- Belarus' authoritarian president on Tuesday signed a law that threatens demonstrators with years in prison — the latest move in a relentless crackdown on protests against his rule. The law envisages a prison sentence of up to three years for the participants in unsanctioned protests who had faced sanctions for joining them on at least two occasions over a year. Previously, taking part in unauthorized demonstrations was punishable by fines or brief jail terms ranging from several days to two weeks. President Alexander Lukashenko has faced months of protests fueled by his reelection to a sixth term in a vote last August that was widely seen as rigged. The Belarusian authorities have responded to demonstrations with a fierce crackdown that saw more than 35,000 people arrested and thousands beaten by police. The wide-ranging repression was spotlighted again on May 23, when Belarus diverted a Ryanair flight traveling from Greece to Lithuania to Minsk where authorities arrested Raman Pratasevich, a dissident journalist who was aboard. Since his arrest, 26-year-old Pratasevich has been shown in several videos on state TV, tearfully repenting for his activities and praising Lukashenko in remarks that the opposition slammed as coerced.