Viktor Babariko, the former head of Russia-owned Belgazprombank, stands inside a cage in a court room in Minsk, Belarus. Photo / APThe Supreme Court in Belarus sentenced a contender in the 2020 presidential race to 14 years in prison on corruption charges in a case that has been widely seen as politically motivated. Viktor Babariko, the former chief executive of a Russia-owned bank, aspired to challenge Belarus' authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko, in last year's election. Babariko has remained in jail since his arrest and rejected the corruption charges against him as politically driven. He will not be able to appeal the Supreme Court verdict.

Source: New Zealand Herald July 06, 2021 08:37 UTC