the Belarusian Aliaksandra Herasimeniathree-time Olympic medalist in swimming, was sentenced in absentia to 12 years in prison, accused of having created “an extremist formation” – the Solidarity Fund for Belarusian Sport (FBSD) – and to launch appeals to impose sanctions on his country, as reported on Monday by the association for the defense of human rights Viasna.

The former athlete, 36 years old and winner of the silver medals in the 50m and 100m freestyle in London 2012 and bronze in the 50 free in Rio de Janeiro 2016was convicted by a Minsk court following a trial that began on 19 December.

Together with her he was also sentenced in absentia, and to the same penalty, Alexander Opeikinanother founder of the FBSD, an organization created with the aim of financially and legally helping Belarusian athletes persecuted by the authorities.

The sentence specifies that Herasimenia, world champion in the 100 free in Shanghai 2011– and Opeikin spread in the media and on the Internet calls for sanctions against Belarus and that their actions had serious consequences and undermined the country’s security.

In addition, the court ruled to recover more than $220,000 in property damage caused by the actions of the defendants to Belarusian sports associations and organizations, as well as the state fee of approximately $12,600.

Meanwhile, the properties of the former athlete – who retired in 2019, after being a mother – will remain frozen as compensation for the damage caused.

The sentence has not yet entered into force and can be appealed according to the procedure established by law.

According to Viasna, Herasimenia, who lives in exile in Lithuania with her husband, Yauhen Tsurkinalso a swimming champion, he was also found guilty of “dissemination of false information about events” that took place in that country in 2020, during the unprecedented protest against the re-election of the president Alexandre Lukashenkoin power since 1994.

It was in this context that the swimmer signed an open letter together with other athletes from her country calling for “free elections” and created FBSD.

In April 2021, the former athlete auctioned off the gold medal he had won at the short course World Championships for $16,100 Istanbul 2012 to raise money to help opposing athletes.

“This world gold is for the sake of peace in our country. With this auction, I would like to support all Belarusians,” he said at the time. “The black ribbon attached to the medal symbolizes all victims and political prisoners of Belarus.”

This year, the athlete criticized the support that the Lukashenko regime has given – and continues to give – to the Russian military campaign in Ukraine, which began in Kiev.

“Ukraine has never been our enemy, it is a fraternal people,” he declared in the first days after the start of the invasion of Russian troops.

For more than two years, the Belarusian authorities have carried out a relentless crackdown on any movement that opposes the Lukashenko regime, which is why most of the opposition figures are imprisoned or living in exile.

With information from Telam and AFP