MINSK. Feb 12 (Interfax) - Member of the presidium of the Belarusian opposition's Coordination Council Maxim Znak has been charged with conspiracy to seize power in the country and set up an extremist group.
"On February 10, lawyer Maxim Znak was charged with conspiracy with the aim of seizing power in the state using unconstitutional methods (Part 1 of Article 357 of the Criminal Code), as well as with setting-up and leading an extremist formation (Part 1 of Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code)," Znak's lawyer Dmitry Layevsky said on Telegram.
The latest charges have been added to the indictment brought against Znak last September, when he was charged with publicly calling for actions to cause harm to the national security of Belarus, Layevsky said.
"There are no legal grounds for any of these charges," he said.
Znak was detained on September 9, 2020. He was charged with calling for actions jeopardizing Belarusian national security on September 18, 2020. He disagreed with the charges and went on a hunger strike which lasted for over a week.
In late December 2020, the Belarusian Prosecutor General's Office opened criminal cases against Znak and other Belarusian opposition members on charges of establishing an extremist group, heading it, and financing its activities with the aim of seizing power in the country through unconstitutional methods.
Belarus has seen continuous protests against the official results of the presidential election that took place on August 9, 2020. The authorities declared incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko the winner. Lukashenko has been in office since 1994. The opposition does not recognize the results of the presidential election, saying the election was rigged. Several opposition leaders have been arrested, and others have been forced to leave the country. The protesters are demanding Lukashenko's resignation, the release of political prisoners, and a new election.
Belarusian law enforcement has been fiercely suppressing the protests, which as a result have moved into residential areas and are being held in different parts of Minsk.
The EU and the U.S. do not recognize Lukashenko as the legitimate president of Belarus. The EU has imposed sanctions on Belarus.